Armed Resistance: Side Stories
by SixTwoSixFour
Summary: A compliment to Armed Resistance. Lelouch's battle rages on, but his story is just one of many. Those other stories come to light here- where the rest of the cast of Armed Resistance get some time in the spotlight. Third person, multiple characters.
1. Chapter 1

So, welcome! If you haven't read up to chapter 14 in my main fic, Armed Resistance (fanfiction .net/s/6002973/1/Armed_Resistance and don't forget to take out the space), you should probably do that now. I mean, you don't have to, but this won't make sense otherwise.

This story is, in fact, just little side stories that happen during the plot of Armed Resistance. I will state, at the beginning, who it stars, and during what time period. I will never rely on these side stories to drive the plot along- they will never be required reading for Armed Resistance to make sense. This is just for people who enjoy the main story, and want to see more of that universe. I repeat- this is never going to drive the plot of Armed Resistance. This is, and always will be, just interesting things that happen during the main story, that give it more meaning.

So, this first Side Story stars Suzaku, a lead character who does not get much screen time in Armed Resistance. He's an interesting character, and I want to do more with him- he was one of the main characters of Code Geass, after all. We get some insight into Euphemia's situation, Lloyd's thought regarding Zero, and how Suzaku is trying to handle the situation with Lelouch.

...Since this is the first one, I don't have any reviews, so here goes the chapter!

* * *

**Suzaku Kururugi - Sometime Between Chapters 13 and 14**

* * *

"Suzaku!" called Cecile. "Suzakuuu!"

Suzaku blinked heavily. "Oh... yes, Cecile?" he answered, shaking his head to clear it. "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening..."

Cecile gave him a frustrated look. "Somehow, I could tell. I was trying to brief you on the Black Knight's unique Knightmare, they've fielded it a few times... are you feeling okay, Suzaku?" She leaned forward, peering closely at his face. "Have you been getting enough sleep?"

He shook his head. "I'm fine, Cecile, and I'm sorry for zoning out there. I'll try to focus bet-" he began, and then Cecile poked him in the face with one finger. He blinked, unsure of what exactly had just happened.

"Slow reflexes from you, Suzaku?" she asked, smiling slightly. "_Definitely_ not getting enough sleep. What's bothering you?"

"It's... nothing," he sighed. Cecile poked him again with a grin, and he laughed a little despite himself. "Okay, okay! I'll talk! It's just... it's serious stuff, you know?"

Cecile leaned closer. "And why should that mean we can't help you? We're not faceless commanding officers, Suzaku. We're your friends. Well," she amended, glancing at Lloyd with irritation, "_I'm_ your friend."

Lloyd shoveled another spoonful of pudding into his mouth, humming happily- which, given that his mouth was full of pudding, was actually kind of impressive, Suzaku thought- and typed away on a computer console without noticing either of them. Suzaku smiled. _That's Lloyd for you... but he's a good person, underneath his eccentric manner._ "Well... back when Zero rescued me, he... he took me aside, and he talked to me. He told me that I should be working with him, to free Japan, and I..." Suzaku closed his eyes.

"I told him no. I told him that whatever offenses he had suffered, he needed to move on, to stop dwelling in the past. And I told him that because of a friend of mine who had gone through the same thing, and then just moved on with his life."

Cecile nodded sympathetically. "And now you're wondering if he was right after all?"

"The thing is, that friend of mine... I met him again, recently. I hadn't seen him for years, and I was just so glad that he was okay... and we started talking. And in reality, he's had a _terrible_ time. His only family member still alive, his sister, finally passed away after spending several years dying by inches in a hospital. And I mentioned that... that what happened to her wasn't anyone's fault. Because I thought he was blaming himself.

"But he wasn't blaming himself. He was blaming _Britannia._ She was injured in the bombing of Japan, and the complications led to her death. He blamed them for _everything_. And it turned out that the friend that I'd cited to Zero as an example of someone who'd 'moved on' hadn't moved on at all. He was furious. He _hated_ Britannia, like I'd never seen anyone hate before. When I tried to calm him down, he punched through his tv. ...And I'm not even sure he noticed that he did in, in his fury."

His coworker looked down sadly. "It sounds... like he's pretty justified in his anger," she said quietly. "I don't know what to tell you, Suzaku. You've had some pretty awful things happen to you, as well... but you've kept moving forward. It's pretty admirable, I think, the way you've kept your anger from making decisions for you. Your friend... isn't dealing with his quite so well. And neither is Zero." She hesitated for a moment. "Maybe I shouldn't tell you this... but I've met Zero, actually."

Suzaku's eyes widened. "You have? When?"

She sighed. "He invited Lloyd to talk, actually, and I came along. He was trying to recruit Lloyd. And..." She paused. "And he was charming, and clever, and friendly... but at one point, Lloyd made a joke about how both he and Zero were crazy, and he told me to look into Zero's eyes. They talk about being able to _see_ things in people's eyes- their feelings, their thoughts. I'd always thought it was just romantic nonsense, but when I looked into his eyes, Suzaku... I saw a genius, a genius drowning in an endless sea of rage. Maybe smarter than Lloyd, but just strangled by his overwhelming hatred." She shuddered. "That's what lies at the end of that path, Suzaku. Madness."

_No one is right, and no one is wrong,_ realized Suzaku. _Zero is too destructive, too angry, but he is right about a few things... the Britannian Army _is_ too callous and hateful toward Numbers, and that doesn't seem to be changing. And as much as the Black Knights are a harmful existence... the evil that they represent is _nothing_ compared to the devastation that the Outer Circle is trying to cause. Princess Euphemia..._ he thought, and his fist began to tremble with rage. _They will pay. I swear it, they will pay. Even if I have to team up with the Black Knights to stop them._

Cecile was peering into his face worriedly again. "Suzaku, why don't you go visit Princess Euphemia in the hospital? You know she'd be happy to see you."

He shook his head. "No... I'm just an Eleven, I can't-"

"Oh, nonsense," answered Cecile dismissively. "You're an Honorary Britannian, a Warrant Officer, the pilot of the best Knightmare in the world, _and_ a friend of the princess. She invited you to come by, anyway. Go. You'll feel better."

"...Thank you, Cecile," he nodded, standing. "I think I will."

* * *

He stopped at the door. _What will I say? What _can_ I say? "How are you feeling?" She's just learned that she won't be able to walk ever again, she can't be feeling well... don't want to be too formal, but not too informal either..._ He sighed. _Nothing for it. Here goes._ And then he heard a thump, and a gasp.

He pushed open the door, and his heart leapt into his throat. Euphemia was collapsed on the ground. "My Lady!" he shouted, and ran forward.

"Suzaku...? I'm... I'm alright, but if you could please help me back to my bed..." she asked in a pained voice. Suzaku picked her up easily- _I can't believe she's this light..._- and set her down on her bed. "Ahhhh... thank you, that's... that's better." Her eyes were red, and she looked very pale.

Suzaku stared at her, his face full of concern. "My Lady, what happened?" he asked, trembling slightly. _If I hadn't shown up just then... how long would she have lain there?_

Euphemia gave him what was probably meant to be an embarrassed smile, but really just looked miserable. "It was my fault. They told me... that I wouldn't be able to walk, but... I just didn't believe it. So I tried, and..." Tears welled up in her eyes. "They just collapsed, Suzaku. I just... crumpled."

Suzaku repressed the instinct to grab her hand, and instead just shook his head. "I'm... I'm glad you're well, my Lady. I feared you'd injured yourself."

"Injured myself further, you mean," she sighed, wiping away her tears. "Just call me Euphie, Suzaku. Everyone does."

Suzaku shook his head gently. "You are kind, my Lady, but I cannot do that. It would be... disrespectful."

She smiled weakly. "Always so polite... but enough about this," she said, gesturing at her bandaged and useless legs. "How is school going? And did you find your friend?"

He smiled as well. "School is going pretty well. Everyone's been very understanding, and I'm getting along with them. I'm even on the Student Council, actually. And my friend..." He hesitated. "My friend is doing well also."

"Now, Suzaku, you're not a very good liar," teased Euphemia. "If you don't want to talk to me about it, that's fine, though."

"No, it's not that, it's just... I mean, you have enough problems of your own," he managed.

She shook her head. "And it would do me good to be able to help you with some of yours. Believe me."

"Well... his sister is dead... and he blames Britannia for it. He blames them for _everything_. He's not a terrorist or anything... but when I look at how angry he is, all I can think is how he might hurt someone when he finally loses control."

"It's not easy... is it? Seeing someone hurting like that?" she asked gently.

Suzaku sighed deeply, and his shoulders sagged as the tension and stress let itself out. "No... it's not."

"I think... the best thing you can do, Suzaku, is just be the best friend you can. Be understanding, be thoughtful. Be yourself. And if he's willing to, he will slowly let go of that anger, bit by bit."

"And if he's not willing?" asked Suzaku.

Euphemia gave him a sad look. "Then you have to let him hold onto that anger. Part of freedom of choice is the freedom to make the wrong decision, after all. If you choose for him, the choice will have no meaning at all." She shook her head again, gently. "I know it's hard to see things like that- to be so objective about it, when it's your friend. But you have to let him choose. All you can do is encourage him to do the right thing."

Suzaku stood still, and remembered his friend's words, words that had stuck with him. _"I just don't get you." What is it you don't get, Lelouch? How I cope with my emotions? How I solve problems? I... don't think I get him, either. He doesn't see his anger as a bad thing, as a thing that impairs his judgment. He embraces it, he lets his anger run wild, lets it control him. Is it that he doesn't control his emotions well... or is it that I've never been as angry as him?_

_After all... the loses I've suffered in my life were all_ my_ fault. My father... and through him, my country... they were because of my choices. My... my sins. But what did Lelouch ever do that the world should strike out at him as it has? His mother, Nunnally... and now his best friend has joined the army that killed both of them. Is this _my_ fault?_ He shook his head. _No. No, he was angry before he knew I had joined. And my work here is too important for me to quit, even if I was the reason for his anger._

He'd had dreams, before, of them working together. Lelouch's brilliant mind and Suzaku's skill. In the dream... they were unstoppable. Suzaku could handle any assignment he gave, and Lelouch always knew what to do. They would take on armies, just the two of them, and win. And it had felt so _real_- him and his best friend, against the world. Doing the right thing when no one else would. But it was just a dream. They were too different, their minds too dissimilar, for such a thing ever to happen.

"Suzaku," said Euphemia, interrupting his thoughts, "I have to tell you something." Suzaku blinked, and nodded. "It's... about Zero. My sister thinks he's a tool of my brother Schneizel... that Schneizel set him up here to undermine his sibling's efforts in Area Eleven. To jeopardize their ambitions for the throne."

Suzaku had heard a lot about Prince Schneizel, and while this would be a shocking move if it were true... it did not seem beyond what the prince was capable of, if rumor was to be believed. He was much like Zero, in that way- charming, clever, and absolutely ruthless when he needed to be. "Do you agree, my Lady?" he asked gently.

She shook her head. "No... I don't. I spoke to Zero, when he rescued everyone from the hotel. I think... that he killed Clovis, Suzaku. And if he worked for Schneizel... why would he lie about that? Why wouldn't he make himself out to be as much of a villain as possible, so that Schneizel could seem like a big hero when he swept in and stopped Zero's plans? ...I think Zero works for himself, and that he's a bigger threat than my sister realizes."

"_This land is our land. This land is __**your**__ land. Will you not fight for it, Private Kururugi?" That was what he told me... and I wanted to say yes. In that moment, just for an instant, I wanted to agree, I wanted to sign up with him, I wanted to help him change the world._ "I think you're right, my Lady," he said quietly. "I think Zero is scarier than anyone gives him credit for." _He's scary because of how much he is like Lelouch... brilliant, charismatic, and filled with hate. And that is why I have to help Lelouch- because if he doesn't get help, he'll just become another Zero._ "Our first priority needs to be stopping the Circle from striking again, but after that, we will need to do everything we can to stop Zero. Because if we don't, he could overthrow this country. He really could."

The princess tilted her head. "You think he's that powerful, Suzaku?"

"My Lady... a month ago, no one had _heard_ of Zero. And now he's headlining every newspaper, he's rallied the J- the Elevens to his cause, and he's standing up against the Britannian Army and _winning_. Just think what he could do if we gave him another month."

Euphemia paled. "...I'd rather not."

Suzaku glanced at the ground. "...When are you going to announce your medical status to the news? They still think you're in critical condition."

"I... soon. I just don't want... to give up on my legs just yet," she sighed. Suzaku nodded sympathetically. _As I recall... neither did Nunnally. I got to know her just after she'd gotten out of the hospital... and she was so kind, and so thoughtful... and so depressed, at first. She wanted to walk again, so badly. To run again. To see again._

The door was pushed open, and a man in a white coat with glasses strode in purposefully. "I'm sorry, young man, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave now," he declared. "Princess, the chief of staff has ordered more x-rays on your legs. We need to see how well they're healing."

"Probably no better than the last time you checked..." she mumbled sadly. She turned to Suzaku. "I guess you have to go now, I'm sorry. I really enjoyed seeing you- will you visit me again?"

Suzaku smiled. "Of course, my Lady. Your wish is my command."

* * *

When he got back to the base, Cecile was gone, and it was just a few technicians, and Lloyd, smiling and humming and punching away at a keyboard. Suzaku walked over to him quietly, not wanting to distract him too much.

He glanced over his shoulder, and blinked. He appeared to be working on a Knightmare of some sort... but it wasn't the Lancelot. It looked like a Frankenstein of designs... the basic frame of a Glasgow, but with the wiring and subsystems of a Gloucester, some firing control systems from a Sutherland... and some parts that he didn't recognize at all. "Lloyd... what is that?" he asked curiously.

"What? Oh, Suzaku. Welcome back!" the Earl smiled. "This is a design that Zero sent me as a present, actually. It's called the Gurasugo, I believe."

Suzaku did a double take. "Zero _sent you_ this?"

Lloyd reached for his bowl of pudding, and was disappointed to find it empty. "Oh, yes. We've become sort of friends, actually. Like how me and Rakshata used to be." He pressed a few more keys, and then stood back, staring at the screen. "It's just... brilliant! The technology is all so ordinary, but it's put together in such a clever way... and who would have thought of using a hydraulic piston like that? Whoever designed this... if you gave them some of the technology _we_ are using, they could really create some scary stuff. Talk about making the best of what you've got."

Suzaku leaned closer to the electronic blueprint. "Is it really that impressive?"

"Well, it's no Lancelot, of course, but we're using the best technology in the world. This thing is using technology that's several years old, and it could still probably keep up with the Lancelot, at least for a little while. Wait... is that a signature?" Lloyd leaned close himself. "'Zero!' I'll be damned, he designed it himself!"

Suzaku froze. "Zero is a Knightmare engineer?"

"Oh, no, no, nothing like that," assured Lloyd. "All of the parts here are preexisting technology. I don't think he has the know-how to create something entirely original for a Knightmare. All this means is that he's smart enough to put stuff that already exists together in a very clever way. I wouldn't worry about him building anything that can rival my work." He plopped down in a chair, and smiled. "It was nice of him to send me that, it's very interesting."

Suzaku hesitated. "Cecile told me that he tried to offer you guys a job... Lloyd, did you... consider the offer?"

"Oh, I'm still considering, Suzaku," he answered easily.

The boy froze. "You... you're still thinking about joining the Black Knights?" he asked weakly.

"Well, I wouldn't want to leave Cecile behind, of course, and she's being pretty stubborn about this... but I like Zero, and he says he'll give me as much funding as I want. He's got some pretty incredible devicers, too- there's this one, Quebec, I think he called her, and oh Suzaku, you should see her numbers-"

"But you're a Britannian!" shouted Suzaku. "You can't just run off and work for the enemy that's trying to destroy your own country!"

Lloyd gave him a puzzled look. "Why not?" he asked, and his tone was not sarcastic- it was honestly, genuinely confused. He really didn't understand why he couldn't just switch sides.

Suzaku struggled for words, stunned by Lloyd's attitude. "Because... because this is your _country_! This is the country that raised you, that gave birth to you! You have to look after it!"

"Kind of hypocritical coming from someone who's fighting against his own country, don't you think?" asked Lloyd mildly.

"That's... different," managed Suzaku, fighting to control his anger.

"Not really, but if you say so." Lloyd turned back to his computer, and began to type away, indicating that the conversation was over. Suzaku felt... drained, somehow. _Is he right? Am I just betraying my own country?_ "Oh, and before I forget, Suzaku, you've got a mission tonight. The Black Knights are supposed to be hitting some warehouse, and we're going to intercept them."

"'Before you forget?' You almost... forgot about a mission?" asked Suzaku incredulously.

Lloyd shrugged, and smiled. "I'm worrying about more important things! Well, thinking. I don't worry about it too much." Suzaku had a sudden, horrifying mental image of a crucial attack on a terrorist base failing because Lloyd never remembered to tell him about it. _I think, from now on, I'm going to make sure my orders are given to me directly, rather than through Lloyd..._

* * *

The Army was too late. The black Knights had come and come, and all they had left by the time Suzaku had arrived were dead bodies and destroyed lab equipment. Suzaku walked slowly through the battle-ravaged warehouse. They had put up a fight, of course, but drug dealers aren't equipped to take on Knightmares and men with assault rifles.

He bent over, and picked up a hard, polished wooden case, and flicked it open. Inside was an injector, and several vials of Refrain. _Refrain... take a shot, and remember the good old days... and they'll be highlighted by the warm tinge of a high as well, so that you don't remember all the bad things that went with them._

Suzaku was fundamentally opposed to drug use, but just for a second, he understood why the drug was so popular. He wanted to take a shot himself, and drift back to the days when everything was simpler- when Nunnally was alive, when Lelouch was calm and kind, when his father... he shook his head, and snapped the case shut. Dangerous thoughts. And a dangerous drug... the perfect tool to keep Area Eleven from ever standing up for itself. Just lock them up with their memories, and let them rot...

All the dealers were dead, no one had survived the attack. That didn't bother Suzaku in the slightest. He didn't like killing, but these people... they were scum. They sold poison to fund the Circle's efforts to murder the Imperial Family. _These people weren't murdered. You can't "murder" an animal. They were "put down."_

"That's a scary face you've got on, Warrant Officer," observed a voice, and Suzaku dropped the case, into dropped to a bow. Princess Cornelia stared at him with amusement. "How do you feel, seeing all this mess?"

"My Lady?" asked Suzaku uncertainly. He wasn't sure if the question was rhetorical, or if she actually wanted him to answer.

"Speak freely, soldier. I'm curious as to what you think about this scene," she ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness," nodded Suzaku compliantly. "I... I feel angry, Your Highness. Angry that these people would get rich by poisoning my people. Angry that the Circle got away from us. Angry that there was nothing I could do about it."

"For a Number, you have a decent head on your shoulders," she noted dryly. "I feel similarly. But I feel angry about one more thing- I feel angry that Zero could so blatantly wage war within _my_ land, and get away with it." She turned to face Suzaku. "Euphemia likes you. I don't. I don't like Numbers at all. But you're the best pilot we've got, and you don't seem to be that bad of a person. So here's what I want from you, Warrant Officer.

"The next time we get a report that the Black Knights are taking action? I don't want you to wait around for the main attack. With as fast as they are, and as slow as we are, we will _always_ arrive too late if we do that. Next time, I want you to grab a few Sutherland pilots, and maybe some infantry, and lead an attack, right then and there. And if anyone gives you trouble, you let them know that you are doing it in the name of Cornelia li Britannia."

Suzaku pressed his arm to his chest, and bowed again. "Yes, Your Highness!" he declared, and Cornelia nodded, satisfied, and walked away. Suzaku rose again once the Princess was well away, and gazed after her.

"She likes you," said another voice, and Suzaku glanced aside to see the Princess's knight, Lord Guilford. He wore a tired smile.

"I... don't mean to be contrary, Lord Guilford, but she just told me she didn't," answered Suzaku politely.

"She told you that because she doesn't like Numbers. She's got a very pure-blooded attitude, and a reputation. She doesn't want to come across as being kind to a number, but... she likes you. She does. She wouldn't have trusted you with something like that if she didn't." He adjusted his glasses, which had slid a little ways down his face. "I understand that you're an Eleven, but I have to ask... are you ready to fight Zero? To fight the Black Knights?"

Suzaku hesitated. "Sir, I thought the military's focus was on the Circle at this time," he managed.

"The military's focus is as a whole, yes, but a Knightmare pilot can't do much to the Circle. To fight the Circle, we have to _find_ them first, and that is the real challenge. The Black Knights are an enemy we can readily engage, and so we will deal with them in the meantime. So are you ready to fight, to kill those who are promising freedom to your land?" he asked, staring at Suzaku.

Suzaku saluted. "Sir, I am an Honorary Britannian. _Britannia_ is my land, and I will not hesitate to defend it."

Lord Guilford smiled, but there was a hint of doubt in his eyes. "Good answer." Then he followed after the princess.

* * *

So that's how these are gonna go, usually. No big plot busters, but some interesting stuff that you didn't get to see because Armed Resistance is first-person.

My plan is for the next Side Story to star Milly Ashford, and I have a decent idea of how that's gonna go. But I gotta encourage you... have a story you want told? Wanna know how Orange-kun is doing in prison? Rather see what C.C. has been up to? Let me know! Obviously, I'm not gonna honor every request- I'd wear my fingers to the bone trying!- but if I think you've got a good idea, I'll try to make it into a Side Story- and give you credit for suggesting it. Review, comment, question, and suggest! I'll see ya next time!


	2. Chapter 2

Happy Fourth, folks! For those of you not livin' in America, today, July 4th, is our day of Independence. To me, it seemed like an appropriate time to update Armed Resistance- a story about, among other things, revolution, and fighting against an empire. (Brief rant warning) Truth be told, I am not a huge patriot. Much that my country does troubles me. I don't like many of our policies, and I'm not certain how long we can keep up what we've got going. But times like this, it seems like the thing to do to take a minute, and realize how lucky I am to be in the position I'm in. I'm a college dropout living off of a minimum wage job, but I still have free time to write, to read, and game. That is the sort of thing you need to be thankful for, and I know I owe a lot of it to this country. It's not necessarily the only "land of opportunity" anymore, but it's done right by me.

Anyway. Sorry 'bout that. Feelin' a little patriotic or something. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll get better soon. Anyway.

Today's side story is Milly Ashford, before Armed Resistance actually started. We get to see her meet Lelouch vi Britannia, and see the rough times he went through, and also how she grew to care for him. There are several time jumps, but they are clearly marked, so it should be easy to follow.

I really like Milly as a character, and as I've said before, I feel she really got cheated in Code Geass, but I'm not really certain what to do with her going forward. I don't think I want her joining a military group- the Black Knights, the Outer Circle, the Britannian Army, none of them really suit her. In Code Geass, she became a reporter, and I think that suits her well, but I don't want her just taken out of the field like that. She doesn't have the intellectual mind to be a researcher like Nina, either. Hrm. Huh, I think I just got an idea, actually... but I'm not sure if I'll use it. If you've got one, feel free to throw it my way.

Reviews! Teucrian asks if Cornelia's orders to Suzaku mean that he just got an independent command. Sort of? He doesn't have authorization to do whatever, whenever, but when he's in a battle, and he's been told his objective, he no longer needs orders to deploy and whatnot. Basically, if the military takes him to a battle, once he gets to the battle, he's allowed to do as he thinks is best, and even take a few Sutherlands with him if he thinks it necessary. This is a very tentative thing, and it would be easy for Suzaku to lose the privilege.

Gaff Gafgarion asks if the original meeting between Suzaku and Euphemia happened the same way it did in canon. Yep, pretty much. He also notes that it's odd for Suzaku to consider teaming up with the Black Knights, even to take down the Circle. I think it's not quite as odd as all that. He's not eager to, and as you say, he really believes that the way you get something done is as important as getting it done (the ends don't at all justify the means, in other words), but the Black Knights and Zero are a much more heroic presence in this fic. They aren't Clovis's killers, they aren't terrorists. They're just Japanese who want their country back, and are trying to reclaim it through honorable means. Contrast that with the Circle, who _shot Euphemia_. _Six times_. It's not so much that he thinks the Black Knights are great guys that he just _hates_ the Circle, and thinks that the Black Knights aren't so bad that he isn't willing to work with them to stop the Circle. Of course, he hasn't done so, though, so something must be keeping him from making that decision.

B Guy wonders what happened during Gaspar's time with the Ashfords. Umm... happy birthday? When I saw that review the first time, I was like, "How did he _know_?" =P Yeah, that's what this is. Kyuubi no kami notes that I haven't just killed Suzaku off, and appreciate that. Heh, no problem. I try not to fall into the classic "fix fic" traps of just making everyone I like cooler, and everyone I hate... dead-er. 12D3 Gorillaz notes that Suzaku seems pretty angry himself. Yeah... he is. Personally, I don't believe it's possible to change someone by spending time with them without yourself changing to some degree as well. Suzaku is trying to change Gaspar to be more patient and tolerant, but in the process, he's picking up some of Gaspar's anger. Fun times.

Finally, Sihv requests that I do a side story with Nina. As much as I dislike her personally... well, what do you do with a character you dislike? You try and get inside their head, you try and figure out what Code Geass didn't tell you, figure out why they are they way they are. tl;dr version, I've done some thinking, and I think I could make a side story from her perspective work. Hrm. That wasn't really shorter at all.

Alright, chapter time! Enjoy!

* * *

**Milly Ashford - Seven Years Before Chapter One**

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* * *

**

Milly sat up straight as the doorbell rang. She set aside her notebook, and ran for the door. "I got it, I got it!" she shouted excitedly, rushing past the maid, who shook her head with a smile. She dashed down the stairs, took a deep breath, and pulled open the front door.

Standing- though only barely- on the front steps was a boy, about her age, with an unconscious girl on his back. His face was covered with a half-dozen minor cuts, and even through his black shirt, the blood dripping from his gut was readily visible. His hair was wild, and unkempt, and scorch marks scored his skin.

The girl was not doing much better- her head was bleeding profusely, and her dress was covered with blood as well, betraying what had to be worse injuries underneath. The boy was holding her piggyback style, and his face was contorted in pain.

"Please..." he gasped, "help...!" Then he fell to the ground.

Milly backed away slowly, her eyes wide in horror. "Daddy...! Daddy!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

* * *

She sat by the boy for all of that first night, falling asleep in the chair beside him. He was Britannian, which was the strange part. There had been bombings all day, but they had been very precise- they struck only the Japanese parts of the city, sparing any known Britannian neighborhoods, including the large Ashford residence on the edge of town. The boy must have somehow been out in the Japanese part of Tokyo when the bombs began to drop, and staggered and stumbled his way to the only building he could see standing on the horizon... the Ashford estate.

It was incredible that he'd survived, the adults agreed. A piece of shrapnel buried in his gut, and carrying a girl with his as well. The girl was actually not as badly injured, but the wounds had gotten infected, and she was healing very slowly. Her legs were crippled, but according to the doctor, that must have been a preexisting condition, judging by the state of them, and lack of fresh trauma.

None of this, of course, made any sense to Milly. She was only ten, and the sight of a boy her age stumbling up to her door and bleeding everywhere before collapsing had scared her. It scared her because she'd never seen anything like that, and she didn't know what caused it. It scared her because he was obviously hurting so badly. It scared her because the boy was probably going to die.

She didn't know this in a medical sense, but to her, it was just obvious. His body was a mess, and there had been so much blood... he couldn't recover from that. People don't recover from that. So she was very surprised when she woke up the next morning, got breakfast, and returned to the bed where they'd placed the boy to find him awake and a little frantic.

As she stepped into the room, she noticed that something had changed. It took her a minute to figure it out, and then she realized that the boy wasn't in the bed. He was just _gone_. She paused, confused, and looked around. A groan drew her attention to the ground, and she saw the boy collapsed there, pulling himself along with one hand.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing? You need to get back in bed!"

The boy glanced up, noticing her for the first time, and stopped. "My sister..." he mumbled weakly. "I need... to help my sister..."

Milly felt a flash of sympathy. "Your sister...? That girl you carried here? She's okay, they've got her in a bed in the other room," she told him, walking over to him. She bent down, and grabbed his shoulders.

"What... are you...?" he asked, confused.

"You need to get back in bed, and you don't look strong enough to do it yourself. So I'm going to help you," she told him.

The boy blushed slightly. "I can do it myself!" he insisted.

"Stop being stupid and let me help you," sighed Milly, and she dragged him back to the bed, and hauled him up onto it. She slumped into her chair, panting a little with the effort, and sighed.

The boy scowled for a few moments, and then said, quietly, "...Thank you." He stared at his bandaged chest for a few moments, and then reached toward the gauze slowly.

"Don't pick at it!" snapped Milly, and he flinched, and lowered his hands. "Geez... didn't your mother ever tell you that?"

"My mother's _dead_," snapped the boy bitterly. "...She's dead."

Milly felt her stomach sink. _His mom is dead, his sister is hurt, and so is he... but what about his dad?_ "Where's your father?" she asked quietly, almost dreading the answer.

He snorted. "Probably? Just sitting on his throne in the castle. I doubt he knows or cares about our problems."

"Throne...? Who is your father, exactly?"

"The Emperor," the boy answered casually. "Why, didn't you know?"

She blinked. "Wait, if your dad is the Emperor, then that would make you..."

"Lelouch vi Britannia... or I used to be. I'm not so sure anymore," he admitted softly. He poked at his bandage, and this time Milly didn't bother stopping him. He winced. "Ow... maybe I'll just leave that alone," he mumbled. He glanced up. "Oh, that's right. This is the Ashford Estate, right? I should like to talk to Ruben Ashford."

Milly was still stunned. _A prince? I've never met a prince before... and Lelouch vi Britannia... that's the late Marianne vi Britannia's son!_ She stood quickly, and bowed. "I apologize, your Highness! I... had no idea that you were-"

Lelouch waved a hand dismissively. "Anyone who's saved my life can speak to me however they like. Besides, I've hardly got a claim to the throne anymore." He paused a moment. "But I would like to talk to Ruben Ashford, if possible."

"O-of course," she stammered, and ran out of the room. "_Grandpa! Grandpa!_" she called as she ran down the hallway.

"In here, Milly," answered a calm voice. "Has our guest awoken?"

Milly opened the door to her grandfather's study, and stepped inside. Ruben Ashford was looking up from his desk, a fountain pen poised in one hand over a small pile of papers. Reference books covered the desk, opened to various pages so that Ruben could consult them at a glance while he worked. _He never did like computers,_ she mused. "Uh... yes, grandpa, he's up. He..." she began, and then hesitated. "He says he's Lelouch vi Britannia, grandpa. The prince."

Her grandfather froze, and the pen slipped from his hand. "I _knew_ྭhe looked familiar!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Lelouch vi Britannia... good god, why is he _here_?" He stood quickly, scattering papers, and had to stop to rearrange them. "Well... I guess I had better go talk to him." He paused. "And that would mean that the poor girl is Nunnally vi Britannia..." He shook his head. "Come, Milly."

She followed her grandfather back through the hall, and they paused outside the door where the prince was resting. Her grandfather turned, opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it again, and shook his head. Then he stepped inside.

Lelouch looked up as they entered, trying to pretend that he hadn't been picking at his wound again. "Lord Ashford?" he asked politely.

Her grandfather bowed awkwardly. "Your Highness... we didn't recognize you at first, if we had, we would have made more suitable arrangements-"

"There is no need to call me 'your Highness,' Lord Ashford," interrupted the boy. "I'm sure you know that I have been disowned by the royal family. In fact, they likely expected me to die in the bombings. I appreciate the gesture, but I am a prince no more."

"A prince once, a prince always, your Highness," said Lord Ashford solemnly. "Royalty is not a status to be bestowed, it is the very blood that runs through your veins."

"Seems to be running _out_ of my veins at the moment," answered Lelouch darkly. "But that is all beside the point. Lord Ashford... I hate to ask favors, but... when my mother died, everyone abandoned her. All the lords and ladies of the court that had backed her, their loyalty behind her, pulled it as swiftly as they could. We, her children, were left without any supporters... except for the Ashford Family. Even though we were now useless, you and your family did not abandon us."

He stared at the floor. "It meant a lot to me, your family's support. And the last thing I want to do is to ask further of you... but when the bombs started falling, I knew of nowhere else I could go. Your estate, just on the horizon, was the only place that I thought I might find safe shelter. And I have- you have treated my wounds, you have helped my sister, and you did all of this, apparently, without even knowing that I was of any importance.

"My family, the Imperial Family, thinks me dead, and if they knew I was alive, would wish to... correct that. I need a place to hide... perhaps for years, I don't know. I just... I don't have anywhere to go, sir." His eyes began to water, but he gritted his teeth, and brushed the tears away unshed. "This is all I can do."

"Milly... leave us, please," said Lord Ashford quietly. Milly frowned, and then sighed, and turned, and walked out the door, closing it behind her. Then she grinned, and crouched, pressing her ear up against the door. Her father's voice came to her, faintly muffled. "Your Highness... your sister is very, very unwell."

"If you are referring to her blindness and crippled legs, those were like that already-"

"That is not what I refer to. She has a high fever, she is in pain, she is delirious. It is a sickness of some sort, perhaps due to her injuries. I am not certain- I am not a medical professional." Milly felt her gut tighten. _I told him that she was okay... that she was going to be alright. I didn't know it was that bad..._

Lelouch's voice came again, so soft and weak that she could barely hear it. "...Will she survive?"

Her grandfather paused. "To be honest, son... I don't know. We've got her a good doctor. Her odds are good. But even if she does make it... her immune system is shot. Her body won't be able to fight off disease until it recovers... and I fear that she will never get a chance to. Her defenses are down... and bacteria and viruses will take full advantage of the situation."

He sighed. "Lelouch, I was there when you were born. Royalty don't get godfathers, but I am as near to it as you will have. I could never just abandon you when you and your sister are in trouble. We will hide you. We will get you two new names, we will get you a new home, we will pay for your expenses... especially Nunnally's medical bill." He paused, letting all this sink in. "Do you have any requests for your last name?"

There was another silence. "When the bombing started... it was fairly clear that the bombers were trying to kill us. Not just trying to kill those around us, trying to kill _us_ specifically. My father's orders, no doubt." Lelouch's voice was distant, and calm, and it wouldn't be until years later that Milly realized that the voice she was hearing was one of complete helplessness. "One of the bombs landed right next to us... it would have killed us both, but it didn't go off when it hit. I sat there, and stared at it, and our guard... the only Britannian guard they had sent with us... he grabbed me and Nunally, and threw us, just _threw_ us across the room, away from the bomb. And a moment later, the bomb went off... and it killed him.

"The man's name was Edward Gaspar. I would like to be Lelouch Gaspar."

"As you wish, your Highness," replied Lord Ashford, and suddenly footsteps started heading for the door. Quickly, Milly ducked into her room, and closed the door. Her heart was beating a million times a minute, and though this too she would not realize for many years... in that moment she fell in love with Lelouch vi Britannia. For his honesty, for his courage, and for his pride.

She took a deep breath, and waited until her grandfather's footsteps had faded away, and then stepped back out into the hall. She snuck back to the prince's room, and pulled open the door. She stepped inside. "Lelouch, I-" she began, and then stopped. The bed was empty, and this time, so was the floor. She paused uncertainly, and then she heard voices through the wall.

She stepped out into the hall, and poked her head into the room where Nunnally, Lelouch's sister, was being kept. Lelouch was there, crouched at her side, and holding her hand.

"I talked to Lord Ashford... he's going to take care of us, Nunnally. He can set us up with a place to stay, and new names... a whole new life for us." His voice was soft and kind, unlike the stubborn pride that had filled it before.

The girl hesitated, and turned to face him with closed, sightless eyes. "And... what about me? Will I... get better?" she asked weakly.

Lelouch looked away. "The doctors... think you're going to get better, Nunnally," he lied. "You're going to be fine. It will just take some time."

Nunnally's other hand reached to touch Lelouch's, and for a moment, there was just her hand gently feeling his. "...I'm not, am I?" she asked. "I'm not going to get better. I can tell... that you were lying, brother."

Lelouch looked miserable. "It's not that simple, Nunnally, I'm just worried about-" he began, but Nunnally shushed him.

"It's okay. You were trying to make me feel better." She coughed a few times. "But I'm not well, Lelouch... and I don't think that's going to change any time soon." She smiled at her brother. "It's okay. We're safe now, I'll be alright. What's our new last name, then?"

"Gaspar," he told her. She tilted her head, thinking.

"You named us after Edward? That was a nice gesture, Lelouch... may he rest in peace." The two sat in silence for a moment, remembering the man who gave his life to protect theirs. "Oh, where is Suzaku?" asked Nunnally.

"I... we got separated, Nunnally. He helped me carry you most of the way here, but when we were cutting through a building, the roof started to fall in, and..."

Milly stepped back, and walked slowly downstairs. Something about their conversation made her want to give them some privacy, and she was sure she'd be able to spend time with them later.

* * *

**Five Years Before Chapter One**

**

* * *

**Milly walked alongside her friend as he stared at the ground in silence. "Lulu..." she began hesitantly. "...Why did you do it?"

"Does it matter?" he asked bitterly. "He wanted to fight, so we fought. The only reason I'm in trouble is because I won." He was angry, but at what, Milly couldn't tell. Himself? The boy he'd gotten in a fight with at school? The principal, for giving him a week's suspension? Milly, for asking him about it? "Can we drop it?"

"No, we can't drop it, Lelouch!" she almost shouted. "You can't just beat people up! It doesn't matter if he started it, don't get involved! Tell a teacher, or-"

"A _teacher_," he repeated, his tone scathing. "I should have known you wouldn't understand."

"I can't understand if you don't tell me! ...Talk to me, Lulu." It wasn't a command... it was a request, a plea. The prince who had stumbled up to her door covered in blood two years ago was now a quiet, brooding boy who seemed prone to lashing out. Milly knew he was a good person, but she just didn't understand why he was behaving this way. It was probably a boy thing, but it was more than that, too.

Lelouch was quiet for a moment. "...He insulted Nunnally. He called her a cripple, he said that she was just a burden, that I'd be better off if she was dead. If she couldn't... bother me any more." His tense shoulders relaxed, and slumped. "She never bothers me. I just... I wish there was something I could do for her, Milly. It's been two _years_. Two years, and she's no better than when I brought her here. Maybe she's even worse... I can't tell.

"At first, I had so many things to take care of. I had my own injuries, I was just starting school here, there were a thousand things to keep me distracted. But now... now there's nothing to keep my mind off the fact that Nunnally is sick... is _dying_, and there's nothing I can do about it." He clenched his fist. "I get so mad, sometimes... just sitting, and thinking about how powerless I am. I can't heal her. I can't help her. I can barely distract her from her pain for five minutes, and that's on the rare occasion that she's even well enough that I'm allowed to visit her."

Mily sighed. "I know... that it's hard, Lelouch. But do you think Nunnally would want you to be hurting people for her?"

"I _know_ that!" exclaimed Lelouch angrily. "I know she wouldn't want that, but... when I hear them say things like that, I just get so mad, I can't help it!"

"You've _got_ to help it, Lelouch. For her sake. If she knew how many fights her brother was getting in... it would break her heart, Lulu."

He was quiet for a moment. "...I really went too far this time, didn't I?" he asked quietly. "The principal didn't tell me, but I know he was ready to expel me. The boy... how bad is it?"

Milly looked away. "You broke his arm, Lelouch. He was bleeding a lot, too... you hurt him really, really badly." Lelouch flinched at the words, and stared at the ground.

"...I'm sorry... after all your family has done for me, and I put it in jeopardy for a few petty insults," he muttered.

"This isn't about my family, Lelouch. Don't change your behavior because you feel... indebted to us, or something. Change it because it's the right thing to do. Change it because you don't want to make Nunnally sad. ...Change it because there's a boy in the hospital right now because he said the wrong words to you." She smiled gently, and poked him. "Hey. Hey." He looked up. "You're a good guy, Lelouch. You're mad for all the right reasons- because you can't help someone who's hurting. What you did... was bad, and you're facing the consequences now. And why can't that be it?

"Why can't you just take your punishment, and then move on? And in the future... control your anger a little better, huh?"

He smiled back. "Thanks, Milly. As long as I have you to calm me down when I get mad, I'll be fine." He paused. "I guess I'd better develop more self-control eventually, though- you won't _always_ be there," he added with a laugh.

_Yes, I will..._ thought Milly. _I will always be there for you, Lelouch._

* * *

**Three Years Before Chapter One**

* * *

"God_dammit!_" roared Lelouch, slamming his fist into a wall. A few tears trickled down his face, and his breath came out as a stream of white in the crisp, cold air.

Milly stepped forward as though to comfort him, but stopped. _What... can I possibly do for him?_ she thought sadly. _She's dead._ The moment the doctors had pronounced Nunnally dead, he had begun moving outside, his face murderous. In truth, Milly was glad that he had made it outside before snapping... but it was a small blessing, in the face of the death of her friend, and the sister of her love.

He pulled his fist back, and there was blood on his knuckles, but he didn't seem to care. He slammed it into the wall again, and there was a _crunch_ as the wall cracked from the blow. "...Why?" he asked, his voice coming out in a whimper. "She never... she never hurt _anyone_. She never did anything to deserve this. And yet she suffered, for years, right up until the end... I suppose this is the only time she's had her rest..."

"Lelouch, I..." began Milly, unsure of what to say. "...Are you going to be okay?"

"Me? Oh, I'll be fine..." he answered, and his voice was... odd. There was a hollowness to it, and though Milly didn't know what it meant, it creeped her out. "This has been waiting to happen for a long, long time... and in a way, it's good that she's finally... not in pain anymore. That she's able to go on. If anyone belongs in heaven, it's her."

Milly blinked back a few tears of her own. "Do you... do you think there's a heaven, Lelouch? That we'll see her when we die?"

Lelouch gave her a grim smile. "Oh, of course, Milly. There is a God, and there is a heaven. And I'm sure that you'll be with Nunnally when you die. As for me... for some reason, I know Saint Peter won't be calling my name."

She shuddered. "That's not funny, Lulu."

"That's good, because I didn't particularly mean it as a joke." He took a step forward. "They will _burn_ for this, Milly. Britannia, the Imperial Family, the Emperor... I will put them _all_ to the sword for what has happened to her, and to my mother. I will go to hell for what I do to them... and so long as I drag them down with me, nothing would suit me better."

Milly retreated slowly. "Lelouch... you don't know what you're saying. These are your _family members_. You can't _mean_ that..."

"What _is _family? The saying got it wrong- blood isn't thicker than water. _Everything_ is thicker than blood. Family is not decided by mere breeding and DNA. Family is about relationships, family is about support, family is about love and caring and helping. In that sense, the Ashfords are more a family than the Imperial Family. The princes and princesses I knew in my youth were simply people around- they did not care about me, and I barely cared about them.

"These people killed my mother for their petty infighting without a second thought, and my father just watched it happen. These people sent us to Japan to take us out of the game, then decided that wasn't enough and _poured bombs on our heads._ Mother is dead because of them. Nunnally is dead because of them." He wiped away the tears of grief and rage. "Family? Don't make me laugh. They aren't family. They are the ones who _murdered_ my family, and for that, they will pay in blood."

"You're just upset, Lelouch... it's just..."

"Just _what_, Milly?" demanded Lelouch. "What madness has afflicted me other than the injustices piled upon me? Nunnally is dead, yes. She was my anchor, Milly. She kept me calm, but now they have taken even her from me." He took a breath, and when he spoke again, his voice was calmer. "You have done so much for me, Milly... you have been a true friend, even family, to me. I do not wish to oppose you... but even you won't stop me. I will make them pay. I will make them all pay. And I strongly suggest you don't get in my way." He turned away. "See you at school."

Milly stared at Lelouch as he walked away. _He's just angry. It's his grief, his frustration, his anger at all that's happened. It's reached critical mass, and he just can't take it anymore._ And if she had stopped there, with that thought, she would have been absolutely right, but then she thought, _but it will pass. He'll calm down, and it will all be okay again. He just needs a little time._

And in that she couldn't have been more wrong.

* * *

Twenty bonus points to anyone who noticed the shoutout to "Requiem for the God-Emperor," one of the best YouTube videos ever made. So we see Gaspar get more and more angry... and we see the moment that he finally just snapped. I enjoyed writing this chapter quite a bit, but mostly it's not new information. It's scenes that we knew happened, only with more detail, more emotion. There will be some side stories like that, but really, I think it's generally more interesting to do scenes you didn't even know happened. Suzaku and Cecile discussing Zero, for instance.

My next side story... well, I'm not actually decided. I want to do one with Jeremiah, and I want to do one with Nina. Both will be done, but I don't know which I'm going to finish first. We'll see how it goes. Eventually, I will do a Karen one as well- your requests have been heard, trust me- but it's a question of what, you know? Karen pre-AR? Karen at school and in her life, thinking about things? Karen kickin' ass and takin' names in the Guren? We'll see.

Write, review, comment, question, and I will see you next time!


	3. Chapter 3

Another side story! Let me tell you, I have been writing like a crazy man these last couple of days. Today alone (okay, yesterday plus today, because it's like 4 am as I write this, which is technically a new day) I've written more than seven thousand words. ...That's a _ton_, at least by my standards. And the scary part is? I'm still technically a little behind. Once I get A House Divided updated, I'll be back on schedule, probably... but man, this writing is eating up a ton of time. I remember when I used to play video games for fun... what, two months ago? Then I went and started a fic like an idiot =P I don't really think like that- I enjoy games, and wish I could play more, but I love to write, and since other people can enjoy my writing as well, that's definitely higher priority.

This side story is... well, okay, I'm gonna toot my own horn here. I think it's awesome. I think it's easily the best one yet. And I think by the end of it, you're gonna be like "Holy shit Six, I can't wait to see what this will mean for AR!" Hahaha, maybe it's just because I'm hopped up on Mountain Dew at four am, and thus I'm full of myself. Don't mind me. I do really think you're going to enjoy this, though. Jeremiah Gottwald IS Orange. Summer 2010.

Reviews! Tpolich comments on my usage of periods of ellipsis (aka "..."). Yeah, it's actually something my teachers always gave me flak about, because they thought I overused it, but I think it's very, very important. It's a great way to indicate when a character is stopping to think, or taking a breath, or just sort of trailing off into silence. It does a wonderful job of showing you not just what they're saying, but _how_ they're saying it. I love em. And maybe I do overuse them a little.

sakurahanaalice and Melamori both caught my little slide-in reference at the end there... honestly, it's just such a fantastic video, and a fantastic song, I just couldn't resist. Also, since Gaspar is Catholic, it seemed pretty appropriate. I'm going to take a moment to go on record as saying that I use religion to indicate how a character thinks. I'm not trying to convert you- not everyone in my series are Christian, not all of them even believe. To me, your beliefs say a lot about who you are, and I try to subtly make that part of the fiction. I'm not going to have Karen shouting about how great Shinto is, but if it's ever relevant, maybe she'll say a short shinto prayer before charging into battle. I like to keep it low key.

Specterman626, Teucrian and nanoman79 all request that Karen's side story (or, at least, her _first_ one, since she'll likely have a couple over the life of AR) be lower-key, mostly her thoughts about things. Sounds good to me. I think there's a lot of interesting stuff going on in her head, and I'd enjoy exploring that. Not sure if it will be the next chapter, but we'll see.

Finally, Gaff Gafgarion takes a moment to note how disturbing it is that Gaspar actually broke a kid's arm at the age of twelve. Yeeeaaah... Gaspar has some anger issues, and some control issues, you may have noticed. Though I'm sure he'd disagree- "I don't have a control issue. I have no control, sure, but that's not an issue." Heheh. It's actually really, really satisfying to write a protagonist who is kinda crazy. Like seriously? Sane people are so boring to write. They are so predictable. Gaspar just flips out, and it is lots of fun. You have no idea how many chapters end differently than I plan, because I start writing and then realize that Gaspar wouldn't negotiate (or whatever), he'd just _stab_ them.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

**

* * *

Jeremiah Gottwald - Around the Time of Chapter 18**

* * *

The Tower of London. It was first built as a palace, in the eleventh century, but by the twelfth centry, it saw use as a prison, and all its other functions fell by the wayside. It became the largest prison in the world, housing all manner of dangerous and important inmates. In the eighteenth century, the failed revolution in the Americas saw a massive influx of prisoners, and the Tower was filled to capacity. Then came Napoleon.

That the young Frenchman actually took their homeland away from them was a source of much bitterness for the Britannian people. They had not forgotten France's efforts to aid America in its attempt at revolution, and they had not forgiven it, either. When London fell, one of the most impressive feats they managed was to get all the prisoners from the Tower of London out. Some escaped in the process, certainly, but none of the imprisoned revolutionaries were at the Tower when Napoleon showed up to free them. They were carried across the ocean, and after much hardship, ended up in America.

Now established in Area One, the Britannians were faced with a huge problem- they had two nations worth of prisoners, housed in one. Even the Tower of London would not be able to house this population, if they still had it. And so, in memory of their old homeland, they build the _Towers_ of London in Pendragon.

It was a facility that was _beyond_ immense- nine buildings, each the size of the original structure, connected by bridges and walkways. It was right in the middle of town- a looming, forbidding reminder of the consequences of crossing the Emperor. And even up until the time of this story, the year 2017, the number of people that had escaped from the Towers could be counted on one hand. Four. Only four, in two centuries.

The nine buildings were each referred to as a numbered Tower, with Tower One being the a replica of the original Tower of London built nearly a millennium ago. Tower One was dedicated to nobility and such- lords (ladies were Tower Two) of the land that had committed a crime, and ended up in jail. Most of them had committed lesser crimes, like theft or fraud, but there were a few that were bigger than that.

You see, Britannian Penal Code, the law that dictated the treatment of prisoners in jail, was complex. It was _staggeringly_ complex. Depending on your crime, there might be different provisions for you- murderers weren't allowed to have cellmates, thieves weren't allowed metal utensils, rapists had to shower separately from the other prisoners, and this was just the tip of the iceberg. Social status, martial status, age, gender, psychological profile, sexual preference, all these things affected how the guards had to treat you. It was impossible to keep track of it all. So the Towers had come up with the color-coded jumpsuits.

It was pretty simple, really. Your jumpsuit was color-coded based on your crime, with a special shade for security risks. Any other important factors were part of the barcode on your jumpsuit, but as far as the law went, what crime you committed was the most important thing. A thief or other nonviolent criminal was green, unless they were a security risk, and then they were blue. Moderately violent criminals- robbery with a weapon, threatening, assault- were brown, unless they were a security risk, and then they were grey. _Violent_ violent criminals- murderers, rapists, and all manners of unpleasantness- were black, unless they- well, you get the idea- were white. And traitors were red... unless they were orange.

In all of Tower One, there was only one orange, and he was just being released from solitary confinement back into the regular prison world.

The guard pulled out his key, and stepped up to the lock, then hesitated. "...You guys have your stun batons ready, right?" he asked nervously. The two guards on either side of the door nodded, and the man took a breath, and unlocked the door. "Hey!" he called into the dark room. "Orange! Isolation over, time to go back to your cell."

Jeremiah Gottwald lifted his head, and smiled faintly. "You know, I thought I wouldn't like it... but I actually kind of like the sound of that. Orange. It's a good color."

"You earned it sending three of my friends to the hospital!" snarled the guard. "I dunno why you're so damn proud of being a tr-"

One of the other guards grabbed him by the mouth. "Don't say it!" he hissed quietly into his ear. "Don't say 'traitor'! He goes _berserk_! You wanna end up in the hospital too?"

The man hesitated, and gently pushed away the other's hand. "Yeah... good call," he whispered. "Thanks." Louder, he said, "Come on, Orange! Gotta cuff you so we can take you back to your cell!"

Jeremiah rose to his feet, and walked toward them slowly, noting how the guards flinched with every step. "I will be no trouble. Relax." He held out his hands to be cuffed.

"Uh-uh," said the guard, shaking his head. "Hands behind the back. It's the law for an orange." Jeremiah shrugged, and turned around, putting his hands behind him. It was actually a rather practical law- cuffing someone's hands in front of them really doesn't limit them that much. They can't do individual hand motions. That's it. They could still steal, pick a lock, choke someone, use a gun or a knife... and for that exact reason, prisoners tried to get cuffed in front whenever they could. If they'd behaved themselves, the guards would go along with it- unless they were an orange or white. The law was very clear on them.

They cuffed him, and then the two guards with stun batons got behind him and to the sides, while the guard with the keys led the way. Well-run prisons like the Towers were always pretty quiet, with discipline pretty strictly enforced... but when Tower One's only orange jumpsuit was walking through the hall with his armed escort, an even deeper silence fell. It was the silence of hundreds of inmates praying that he didn't get put into their cell. The silence of the dozens of guards suddenly looking away and trying not to meet the eyes of the man who had beaten three baton-equipped guards senseless with his hands cuffed for an insult.

It was, in other words, the sound of everyone being scared shitless.

It was particularly enjoyable to Jeremiah Gottwald, who, frankly, was fed up with prison. There were, believe it or not, pluses to being in prison. The exercise program was actually pretty good. There was a library with an impressive selection of books, and as a former member of high society, Jeremiah got to be in Tower One, which had pretty decent food and beds. Not as good as he'd gotten when he was one of the best Knightmare pilots in Japan, but... well, if you saw what they ate in the other towers (which he had) then you were very grateful for what you got. And if you wanted to think, it was a great place to do thinking.

Jeremiah Gottwald had a lot of thinking he wanted to do. He wanted to think about the military, who had faked and rushed a trial to get him thrown into prison. Who had interrogated him, painfully, on quite a few occasions before determining that he really, truly did not know anything, and had been set up. And then locked him away anyway.

But mostly, Jeremiah Gottwald thought about Zero. The man who humiliated him, upstaged him, framed him, and, Jeremiah was convinced, even messed with his head somehow. He'd done a lot of reading on it, actually. Psychological conditioning, behavioral modification... he read all sorts of books on the subject, and though there were some slight hints, for the most part, he still had no idea what the hell had happened to him. He'd blacked out, and started... behaving very unlike himself, apparently. Commanding his men to let Zero go, and when some of them did not comply getting very enraged about it. It was bizarre, it was a mystery.

And Jeremiah was certain that Zero had done something to him to make it happen, though he was damned if he knew what. Maybe some piece of Eleven technology that brainwashed people. It would explain his sudden rise to power, as well. But that was as much as he'd figured, in two weeks of research. He didn't have much hope that he would learn anything more.

And to be fair, what would he do even if he found an answer? What could he possibly do about it now? He couldn't break out of the Towers to rush to Area Eleven to take his revenge. He had no way out. No one escaped from the Towers, anyway. Even the few that had, had escaped before the Towers were in their current state- cutting-edge security and significant budget. The Towers of London were a symbol of the Empire's power and pride. They wouldn't let it be anything but the best in the world. So he was screwed.

The guard in front of him stopped, and so he stopped walking as well. "...Well," the guard sighed, "looks like it's your lucky day, Orange. You get your own cell. All the benefits of being out here with the _civil_ people, but none of the hassle of a roommate." He shook his head. "Hands."

Jeremiah held his hands out in front of him, and the guard took the handcuffs off him, pushed him into his cell, and locked the door.

It wasn't until five minutes later that the guard realized that Jeremiah had somehow gotten his cuffs out from behind his back while walking down the hall, without any of his three guards noticing.

* * *

"Hey, Orange!" called a voice. Jeremiah set down his book, and looked up. A man in a brown jumpsuit across the way was standing at the bars of his cell, staring at him "Orange!" he said again, and pushed up his glasses with a finger.

Jeremiah stood slowly. "What do you want?" he asked irritably. Most of his fellow prisoners were either scared of him, hated him, or both. He had tired of it very quickly.

"I just... look, man, I was military too. I'm on your side here. I just wanted to give you a heads up- I bet the other guys don't really tell you the news."

Jeremiah shrugged. "Not so much. What's happening?"

The man leaned forward conspiratorially. "You know that Eleven that took over that hotel?" Jeremiah nodded- some Japan Liberation Front scum had taken over a hotel, and held everyone inside hostage. And then _Zero_ had freed them, the son of a bitch. (It didn't make a difference to Jeremiah that Zero was doing a good thing. He resented him for doing anything other than just lying down and dying.) "Well, get this... he's transferring _here_. To Tower Seven."

Jeremiah allowed himself a grin. "Tower Seven... well, that's going to be a short stay, isn't it?" Tower Seven was reserved for Numbers who had betrayed their Empire, and everyone who stayed there was on death row. And unlike other nations, when you were on death row in Britannia... you died, fast. They didn't spend too much time on appeals, for better or for worse. Certainly for worse if you asked those _on_ death row.

The man grinned. "Name's Maximillian."

"Jeremiah... but Orange is fine," he told the brown with a smile.

Maximillian looked wary for a moment. "So... I mean, what's the deal with you, exactly? I mean... shit, I knew your name when I was outside. You were a good guy in my book. What happened?"

Jeremiah looked away. "I was framed."

The other man bore an expression of honest doubt. "Sure you were."

Jeremiah turned to face Maximillian, his face furious, and the other man flinched. "_I. Was. Framed,_" he snarled.

"Jesus, man... okay, I believe you. Not many people can fake that kind of anger... but he got you pretty good, didn't he?"

Jeremiah took a deep breath, calming himself. "He did. But one day, they'll bring him here... to the Towers. And I don't care what Tower he ends up in- One or Seven or even Nine. I'll do whatever I have to to get in with him... and I will beat him into _nothing_ with my bare hands."

Maximillian shuddered. "I know what you mean, man... if I knew there was one guy responsible for putting me in here, I would make them _miserable_ before I finally killed them." He shook his head. "But that ain't really the case with me, alas."

Orange raised an eyebrow. "What did you do to get in here?"

He laughed a little. "Oh, I got caught embezzling funds from my company... and when the cops came for me, I fought 'em off with a sword." He grinned. "It was actually going pretty well until one of them tasered me."

Jeremiah couldn't help but let out a laugh of his own. "With a _sword_? You must have been out of your head!" Maximillian shrugged with a grin, and Jeremiah smiled to himself. _He may be a little crazy... but it's nice to have someone to talk to, at least._

"Tower One, atten-_shun!_" roared a guard, and everyone leapt to their feet. There was only one reason that a guard would yell for attention. There was a member of royalty in the building.

It was one of those things that the guards drilled into your head the first day as being incredibly important, and then slowly faded into memory. It was a prison. Royalty never came there. Why the hell would they? This was a prison. If you were a friend of royalty, and you got sent to prison, guess what? _You weren't a friend of royalty anymore._ So you shouldn't expect a visit.

Somehow, though, Jeremiah Gottwald found himself caught up in his own imagination. Imagining Princess Cornelia, or maybe Euphemia, walking by, stopping, and saying, "Lord Gottwald! What are you doing in here?" And then they would explain to the military that they couldn't possibly keep such a loyal, skilled pilot in prison any longer, and he would be _free_.

He hadn't realized until that moment how much he wanted to be out. How he longed to just walk on grass, breath the fresh air, and not have to worry about a dozen guards constantly watching him, about all the other prisoners keeping their distance, about _expectation_. To be able to just _be_, to _relax_, and not be faced with the prospect of being pushed back into a barred cell in a few minutes.

He stood stock-still, and he heard footsteps headed this way. _Guards, making sure that everyone is up and at attention,_ he thought. But instead, it was a pair of guards, pushing a prisoner in a red jumpsuit. Red. A traitor. He stared at the man, and froze. Eleven. The prisoner was an Eleven. Was it that JLF dog they had just been talking about? Jeremiah didn't know what the man was supposed to look like, but he certainly looked like a former Japanese soldier. Like he'd been fighting since the war, as most of the JLF had.

And then his heart stopped as Prince Schneizel el Britannia stepped into view. "Now, I want a good cell for Colonel Kusakabe. He's done me a great service today, and I-" he began, and then cut off abruptly, staring at Jeremiah's cell. Staring at _Jeremiah_. "Good lord, is that Lord Gottwald?" the prince asked, raising his eyebrows.

Jeremiah's heart thudded, and he automatically dropped to one knee. "Yes, Your Highness!" he intoned reverently. _Is this really happening? Have I gone mad, or has Prince Schneizel actually recognized me? Actually stopped to talk to me?_ He could barely believe it. No, scratch that- he _couldn't_ believe it. He was really beginning to believe that he had lost his mind. That he could no longer tell the difference between his imagination and reality.

Schneizel glanced at the guard that was with him, who was wearing a look of absolute disbelief. "Can Lord Gottwald have visitors?" he inquired.

The answer, of course, was no- an orange had no rights at all, save for the bare minimum. One did not simply tell a Prince of the Imperial Family that they couldn't visit someone, though, so the guard froze for a minute, and then said, "O-of course, Your Highness!" in a weak voice.

Schneizel nodded with a smile. "Wonderful. If I could see him in the visitor's room, then- the _nice_ one, please," he added, his face apologetic, "then that would be great. I'm sure we have a lot to talk about." Then he gave Jeremiah a smile, and walked away.

The guard turned slowly to Jeremiah, and asked in a conspiratorial whisper, "What in God's name does a Prince want with an _orange_?"

Jeremiah's eyes were wide as he gently shook his head. "I really, _really_ have no idea."

* * *

Schneizel el Britannia sipped his tea with every sign of enjoyment. "You know, I don't think I've ever had this blend before. It's a little... rough, but it's nice." He set the cup down, and smiled. "Have they been treating you well, Lord Jeremiah?"

The answer, again, was no, but you didn't say things like that to the prince, so Jeremiah simply nodded, and said, "Y-yes, Your Highness."

Schneizel smiled. "They haven't, have they?" he asked, tilting his head. "That's a shame. You're a good man... and I fully believe that you are innocent. I wish the military saw things the same way... but they wanted a scapegoat. They didn't want to admit that in truth, they have _no_ idea what happened, and that Zero has them completely beat."

Jeremiah twitched at the name "Zero" involuntarily, and hoped that Schneizel didn't notice, but it was clear that he had. "You met him, didn't you? Zero," he asked.

Jeremiah nodded slowly at the prince. "Yes... Your Highness. I did." He didn't add, _and please don't mention the name again,_ but he certainly thought it. Every time he heard the name, his jaw clenched, and he felt his blood begin to boil.

The prince glanced up at the guards posted inside, and stared at them pointedly. After a moment, they bowed, and stepped outside, leaving Jeremiah and the prince alone. "I'm sure you won't do anything, Lord Jeremiah. You're a good man. I trust you." He leaned forward in his seat. "And since I trust you, I am going to let you in on a secret." He smiled. "I'm on his trail."

The prisoner blinked. "On his trail, Your Highness?" he repeated. "What does that mean?"

"It means I am making real progress in determining who he really is. Most assume that he is male- I have confirmed that, of course- but did you know that he is not an Eleven?" asked Schneizel.

Jeremiah all but gasped. "Not an Eleven, sir?" he whispered, forgetting the proper title in his disbelief.

Schneizel didn't seem to mind the slip-up. "Indeed. Colonel Kusakabe actually managed to get some of his blood, though he did not realize how valuable it was. When I discovered this, I was able to get it from him, and rewarded him appropriately for the information. He would have been on death row, otherwise... but now he's to be set up in Tower One. The first Eleven ever to be housed there, I understand."

"But, Your Highness... where did he get the blood?" asked Jeremiah, still puzzled.

"When Zero captured him, his subordinates did not tie him up properly. He managed to break free, and went at Zero with his sword. Zero took the sword... but there was some of his blood on the Colonel's uniform. The Britannian Army saw the blood when they took him in, and didn't think much of it- they aren't very thorough sometimes, I'm afraid- but I noticed that his medical examination showed no injuries, and so I thought to ask the Colonel where the blood came from."

Jeremiah gaped. "You... read the report, sir, without knowing beforehand that something was off?"

Schneizel smiled in a comforting sort of way. "I have something of a fixation on Zero... and stopping him. I think we are somewhat alike in that way, really." _You're damn right we are,_ thought Jeremiah. "I read most reports having to do with Zero, though they rarely offer such gems as this."

The green haired man considered this. "Your Highness... you said he wasn't an Eleven, based on his blood." The prince nodded. "Could you... could you tell what he _was_, sir?"

"I narrowed it down," nodded Schneizel. "He is either from the European Union... or he is pureblooded Britannian."

That one really threw Jeremiah for a loop. "_Britannian_, Your Highness?" he exclaimed, shocked. "He really could be Britannian?"

"More than could be... it's about a 63% probability," answered the prince. "There is a decent chance of him being from the EU, but more likely, he is Britannian." He sighed. "He's not in our DNA database, but all that tells us is that he's not a convicted criminal nor law enforcement, which is very little to work with. He is between five foot seven and five foot ten, of light, muscular build like a runner, and has raven black hair."

Jeremiah was in awe. "Your Highness... how did you ever discover all this?" he asked, stunned.

"Truly, Lord Jeremiah?" asked Schneizel, sipping at his tea. "Work. Lots and lots of work." He smiled wearily. "Pouring over every photo, every piece of footage, every line he's said, sending people to every scene he's shown himself at... I know more about him that anyone alive, save for himself, and those of his men that he trusts with his identity... if any. It has been very, very difficult. And even after all of this, I have only narrowed him down to a few _million_ people in the world." He shook his head. "This is not nearly enough."

"Your Highness... I think I may know why you wanted to talk to me," hazarded Jeremiah, "and I am truly very sorry to disappoint you- _very_ sorry indeed, your lordship... but I cannot remember much at all about Zero. I... my memories regarding the event are very spotty."

Schneizel studied the man for a moment. "Have some tea, Lord Jeremiah. I still want to ask you some questions, of course. If you can't answer them... well, I understand. It is a very hard thing you've been through. Whether you can help me or not, I will talk to the warden on your behalf. Any victim of Zero's scheming is an ally of mine." Jeremiah hesitated, and then picked up his cup of tea, and took a sip. _After two weeks of water, and occasionally milk as a treat... my god, this is _amazing_, _he thought, suppressing a moan. _It tastes incredible..._

Schneizel set down his cup again. "Well, for my first question... what do you recall about his voice?"

Jeremiah nodded gently. That was a question he could answer somewhat decently. "Well, I'm sure you've heard it on recordings yourself, but... it was very echo-y, Your Highness. Very resonant, and artificially deep. I believe he wears a voice modifier, for it does not sound natural at all. It sound..." he began, and then hesitated, not wanting to say the word. "...Well, it sounds somewhat overdramatic, I suppose, Your Highness. Like Zero wants his voice to intimidate people."

The prince sipped more tea. "So it is not just an effect of the recording, then... interesting. I had hoped as much, actually. It tells me more about his personality." He nodded to himself. "Did you ever see him slip up? Use a more regular voice for a moment, perhaps, see a bit of his hair, anything like that?"

Jeremiah began to shake his head, and then stopped. "Something..." he said, concentrating. It was there. It was right on the edge of his memory, but not quite in. "I saw... something... right before it went blank... there was... _something._" He leaned forward, and pressed his hand to his forehead. _Think. Think. Think. What _was_ it? What did I see?_

"_Jeremiah Gottwald, I have shown proof for every claim I've made thus far!" exclaimed Zero, and he threw his arms out, gesturing to the crowd who roared in response. I trembled at the words... what was he going to produce now? "But, it is as you say. I have not proven you to be the spy yet. I could do so, but time is short. So you have two options- stand here and be proven a traitor and a terrorist, or release Suzaku Kururugi, and I will leave. What will it be, Jeremiah?" demanded Zero. "Face your judgement like a man, or-"_

Blackness. It just stopped there. _But it shouldn't! There should be more! "Face your judgement like a man, or-"... "or-"... "or-"..._ He struggled, trying to get my mind past the block, and his head began to hurt. _"or-" he demanded, and then suddenly his goggles faded to transparent, and his eyes could be seen. His eyes. His violet colored eyes. And then nothing._

"His eyes!" exclaimed Jeremiah triumphantly. "Your Highness, I saw his eyes!"

Schneizel's eyes widened, and he began to breath quickly. "You did...? You actually saw them?" he asked, his voice faint. Jeremiah nodded enthusiastically. "My god... what did they look like?"

"They were... they were so intense, Your Highness," declared Jeremiah, as that instant, that millisecond of memory came back to him in full detail. "They were violet, pure violet, sir. And they were young eyes, but behind them, you could see his anger, sir. His anger, and his hatred, and his pride. He was drowning in them."

Schneizel leaned back, staring at the ceiling, and for a few moments, he was absolutely silent, not even breathing. "Lord Jeremiah... this is a break the likes of which I could not have dreamed of. Height can be disguised by your outfit, as can your build. Your hair can be dyed, and your nationality only gives us so much. But eyes... you cannot change your eyes. Your eyes are what they are, and you are stuck with them. And violet eyes, too... that clenches it. He is, for certain, Britannian... and likely nobility as well."

The prince stood slowly. "Lord Jeremiah, you have done me an incredible service today. I am now well and truly hot on the trail. I can _catch_ him. Perhaps... I can even _beat_ him." He shook his head. "I could not have proceeded without you. I will do whatever I can for you, Lord Jeremiah... I might even be able to get them to commute your sentence. I will speak with the warden, I will speak with my father." He reached out, and took the orange's hand. "_Thank you_," he declared, and it seemed to Jeremiah like the prince had never meant any words more truly in all his life than those.

Jeremiah dropped to a knee, and bowed. "Your servant, my prince," he said simply, closing his eyes. The prince's gratitude was wonderful, and his promise of aid invaluable, but from all of this, the thing that meant the most to Jeremiah was simply remembering. There was more to the scene, but he was sure now that he would _never_ remember the rest, and that was okay. So long as he remembered those eyes... those violet, rage-filled eyes.

* * *

So he still gets his old nickname, "Orange"... but for completely different reasons. If you're curious, by the way, historically the Tower of London was a prison for a while, but they stopped that quite a long time ago. However, this is an alternate reality where there is no USA, so I think I'm allowed to screw with things like that a little. Besides, it seems so cool. To me. Maybe not to you, I suppose. Many thanks to everyone who wrote in to correct my mistake with the Code Geass timeline. Napoleon screws up everything, doesn't he? .

Schneizel, you may note, is getting pretty Zero obsessed. It may be a little bit unhealthy. Frankly, he's just starved for worthy opponents- he's been running around crushing everyone, and he just doesn't enjoy it. He wants to match wits with someone truly worth his time... and Zero most certainly is. So he's developing a bit of a fixation =P Of course, this fixation means he knows more about Zero than _any_ of his enemies, pretty much. If he knew about his Geass, he could probably put the whole puzzle together, but he doesn't, and he certainly isn't going to learn any time soon.

Now someone's going to tell me that Lelouch's canon height is 5'5" or something and I'll look like a moron. If this is true, just message me (please), and I'll quietly edit it in. No need to call me out in front of everyone ^^;

Next time... well, I'm not sure. Either Karen or Nina. We'll see how it goes. Review, comment, question, and I'll see you later!


	4. Chapter 4

Welcome back to another issue of Armed Resistance: Side Stories! It's been a little while since we updated- two weeks, I think? Still, this chapter should be interesting to a lot of people.

This chapter contains a lot of narration, which is a little annoying, but a necessary evil- we're seeing this chapter through the eyes of some people that know a _lot_ that Gaspar does not, and thus there is a lot to explain. One of the side effects of this is you will learn some very important details as to how exactly Codes and Geasses _work_ in AR's universe. Some of this stuff will come up in AR, only a lot later on... and like all Side Stories, some of it never will. Regardless, when/if it does come up, it will be treated as though you'd never read it, because I don't assume readership of the Side Stories.

This chapter was tough to write, because I had finalize a lot of things- how exactly Codes work, how you sealed them, the nature of the Code hunters, and so forth. If I could have just written it, it would have been easy, but there had to be a lot of thought about structure and implications, and such. Not, like, looking for sympathy or anything, I just thought it was an interesting fact. More work than you'd expect.

Review time! We got quite a few reviews for Chapter 3, which makes me happy, I thought it was a good one. I want to thank the couple of people that pointed out to me a plot hole I had to fix- I had forgotten that Britannia didn't actually own the British Isles anymore, heheh. I'm grateful to people for catching that one. A couple of people also asked about the inspiration for the color coded uniforms- asking where I got them from, essentially. I mean, cross your fingers, because it's _possible_ I saw it somewhere and picked it up subconsciously (that's always possible), but I'm pretty sure I just thought of it myself. Honestly, I was trying to find a way to incorporate Jeremiah's nickname, "Orange"... and I started thinking about it. An incident involving an orange in the cafeteria? Stupid. Maybe a reference to the color of his jumpsuit- maybe he's got an orange one and no one else does? From that idea I developed the color-coded jumpsuits. Which turned out pretty decently, I think- it might actually be useful in a penal system.

Teucrian noted that Schneizel felt a little off... and honestly, I completely agree. I had a lot of trouble getting a feel for his character. Some characters- C.C., Karen, Sayoko- I feel like I can just write, and really capture the way they talk and act. I just know how they are, I just kind of feel it. Some characters, though, I have a fair bit of trouble getting into their heads. Suzaku, Schneizel, Nina. They are difficult for me. I've upgraded this story to M, so I feel comfortable mentioning this here... but I was watching episode 12 of Season One again for reference, because I was just starting to write Chapter 23... and at like 10:03 we see Nina in the dark, and... well, okay. Kiddies, move alone, but speaking frankly... she's pretty obviously fingering herself to a picture of Euphemia. ..._Tell_ me you don't find that mega creepy. Ewwww. I have trouble getting into the head of a girl doin' that. (If you wanna reply to this observation, please keep it to a PM- I don't want talk about masturbation in my reviews, that would look pretty messed up.)

Kids, you can start reading again. Deathzealot wondered if Schneizel perhaps would have gotten a better match from Zero's DNA... but no, they don't have Lelouch's DNA on record. I'm using the USA's DNA record regulations, which is that they only have DNA records of people who were suspects in a criminal investigation. That's been my assumption, because we have no information on Britannia's DNA database. Kyuubi no kami mentions the possibility of a Side Story from Nunnally's perspective... my god that would be depressing. I don't plan to do it, but I'll keep that idea in my pocket just in case. Maybe I'll just decide that you guys need to be more sad, and hit you with that =P He also asks who the four prisoners were that escaped from the Towers in the past. Uhm... I don't know? It was just a flavor detail, it was all like a hundred years ago anyway.

Alright, that's it for now! Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**N.N. - Around Chapter 11**

* * *

It had been a mistake. A stupid mistake. That was obvious now, of course, as most mistakes are in retrospect. _Come to Area Eleven, ask C.C. for help. Smart. Because she's always liked you so much, and has always been so willing to help her fellow Codes. Oh wait, no she hasn't. She never has. She's always _hated_ you, in fact._ N.N. gritted his teeth, and ducked down another side alley. He hadn't survived for over two hundred years by being this stupid. He'd picked a wonderful time to start acting like a moron, though.

It wasn't that he was brilliant. He'd never been brilliant. But he'd usually been smart enough to stay away from people who would be happy to see him dead. It was, of course, the fear getting to him. Britannia had been around for as long as he had, but only this new Emperor really scared him. This new Emperor, and his Code hunters. He shuddered as he thought of them. He'd had a decent number of Geass Knights over the years... but it was only when the Code hunters came into being did any of them get sealed.

The process of sealing a Code was a little unintuitive, but once you learned how, it wasn't really that hard. The source of a Code's power, and of their Geasses, was the Codestone. There were twenty-six Codestones in various places across the world... one for each of the Codes. There was a C.C. stone, and an N.N. stone... and there _used_ to be a lot of other stones as well, but most of them were destroyed now.

The way you sealed a Code was, you took their Geass Knights to that Code's particular Codestone, wherever it was, put the Knight on the Stone, and then killed them. As they died, their lifeblood spilling over the stone, the blood would stain the Codestone, and the power from that Knight's Geass would be lost. Kill all three Knights- doesn't have to be the same time, in fact that had only ever happened twice- over the otherwise unbreakable Codestone, and the stone would crumble to pieces... and the Code's body would just _stop._

They would still be alive in a twisted way- their mind would still work, they would still be able to think, but their bodies wouldn't respond to their commands anymore, and would slowly, over the course of _centuries_, crumble to dust, and only then would the Code be finally dead. It was it was torture, it was inhumane, but it was the only way to get rid of a Code.

In the scant few decades that Charles zi Britannia had been Emperor, and established the Code hunters (their proper name being the Evolutionary Purity Directorate), he had done what no other ever could. He'd sealed more Codes in his lifetime than all the rest of history put together.

Fifteen. Fifteen of the original twenty-six Codes had been sealed by the Code hunters. A.A., B.B., E.E., G.G., I.I., J.J., K.K., M.M., P.P., R.R., T.T., U.U., W.W., X.X., Z.Z. Add to those poor souls the seven Codes that were sealed by one person or another in the centuries (maybe even millennia? N.N. wasn't sure) before, and you had _four_ surviving Codes.

First was C.C, the green-haired bitch, who'd been a Code for... well, longer than anyone else still alive, and still had all three of her Geasses. She was careful, she was smart, and she was just so _experienced_- once you've been alive for a millennium (at least- she was seriously ancient, even by Code standards), you get really good at just about everything.

She was good with a sword, a gun, with martial arts, or even a Knightmare. She knew medicine, she knew chemistry, she could build an assault rifle from a box of scraps. And this was just stuff she'd _picked up_- she hadn't even been trying. And for some reason, she almost never helped out her Geass Knights in any way. Never told them what they were up against... but she'd kept them from getting sealed. She did a lot of work in the background without telling them- fighting off the hunters, and leading them off the trail.

Second was S.S., a shy girl who'd been made a Code about a hundred and fifty years ago. Last he'd heard, she was being held by the Code hunters, with two of her Geass Knights sealed, and the third on the run. She could be completely sealed by this point, he just didn't know. N.N. had actually been there when she became the new S.S.- at the time, she was just a Geass Knight, and her Code patron passed his Code to her. That was the ultimate goal of every Code- to raise a powerful enough Geass Knight to pass along the mantle. By rights, C.C. should have had a successor long ago, but she just seemed to have terrible luck.

Then there was V.V., the newest Code, and brother of Charles. You'd think the fact that it was his _brother_ would mean the Emperor would go easy on him, but judging by the fact that he too was locked up, with two of his three Geasses sealed (he had never appointed a third one, so they couldn't completely seal him until he did), Charles had no sympathy for his older brother. V.V.'s Geass had grown at a _staggering_ rate, and he'd actually taken up his predecessor's Code at the age of ten. Truth be told, it was kind of creepy, seeing an immortal little kid.

And last, of course, there was N.N.- two of his three Geass Knights sealed by the Code hunters, and currently running like hell with them in hot pursuit. N.N. had done a good twenty years as a Geass Knight before his patron passed the Code along to him. His Geass had been quite powerful, but of course, once he became a Code, he lost that ability. He didn't have C.C.'s overwhelming experience, S.S.'s extreme likeability, or V.V.'s sharp intellect. No, his asset was that he was the fastest goddamn runner you'd ever meet. Everyone has something, right?

He vaulted over a fence, and realized too late that the other side was a forty foot drop. His heart thudded in terror as he flailed in the air, and then landed with a sickening _crunch_ on the pavement below. He pulled his legs straight with his arms, wincing, and they healed instantly, and then he jumped to his feet, and kept running. "God, immortality is painful sometimes," he grunted, dashing across a street.

N.N. ducked into a run-down shed, slammed the door behind him, and took a deep breath. _Safe. For the moment._ He took a deep breath. _How the hell did I think I would ever be able to fight the Code hunters, huh? Just two of 'em on my trail, and I'm running for my life! I should have never come to Britannian territory..._

"I hope Damian is doing better than me..." he muttered quietly.

* * *

**Damian Montague**

* * *

For the moment, Damian Montague was indeed doing better than his Code patron, though he was in no less danger. Standing in the middle of the Code hunters headquarters with only his Geass to keep him from being discovered was... less than ideal. One of the hunters turned to stare at him a moment, and Damian's hand slid slowly toward his pistol... "Benjamin! I thought you were off in Area Three!" declared the man cheerfully.

Damian relaxed his tense muscles, and sighed. "Got called back rather suddenly. Heard you'd caught the trail of one of them in Area Eleven, right?" he said, his Geass glowing brightly.

Damian's Geass was Absolute Mimicry. He had the power to, by staring into your eyes, take on your identity, covering all five senses- to other people you look just like them, your voice sounds just like them, you feel just like them, smell just like them... even taste like them, though that had only been necessary once, and that was a very, _very_ odd encounter. While Damian held another's identity, they were forced unconscious. When he stopped using it, they awoke again.

Or, at least, that's how it used to be. That was before his Geass Runaway kicked in. Now, any identities he took, he had for as long as he liked- he had some dozen identities cataloged in his mind. The side effect, though... was that he didn't just knock them out when he took their identities. He killed them. Stripped the life right out of them.

It was a thing that kept him awake at night, the first time it happened. But killing, like most things, gets easier every time you do it. By now, it didn't bother him at all. He didn't even think of it as killing- really, he was just taking them into himself. He was moving them from their weak human bodies to the congregation of identities within himself, through the power of Geass.

So clearly, like most long term Geass Knights, his power had driven him somewhat crazy. For the moment, though, it was the only thing keeping the people around him from realizing that he was one of the people they'd dedicated their lives to eliminating. Current, his Geass was convincing everyone who gazed upon him that he was Benjamin Mulready, a member of the Code and Geass Knight hunting organization the Evolutionary Purity Directorate, or EPD for short. The only folks in the world who didn't just _know_ how to permanently seal a Code... but had done so, repeatedly.

Damian didn't like them too much, predictably. The man who had spoken to him paused, and then reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. "It's me. ...You what? Oh come on, it's not even the smart one!" he complained. He glanced at Damian, and put his hand over the receiver. "It's that Chinese guy... but they lost track of him," he sighed. "This is gonna take a while. See you later, Ben." Then he uncovered the phone. "No, I _don't_ think his Geass Knight is there. Because this guy, while he's not super bright, is not such a retard that he would drop his last Geass right on our doorstep. ...Put Mike on the phone," he sighed.

Damian shuffled past the hunter carefully. _It sounds like N.N. got spotted again... honestly, his carelessness will be the death of me one of these days._ That, or _he_ would become N.N. He was getting close- he was almost powerful enough now to assume the mantle. Certainly, life as a Code wasn't great right now, but it was _immortality_. All he would have to do would be to wait for the current Emperor to die, or otherwise be dethroned, and his Directorate would fall with him. But for that to happen, he had to survive. He had to keep from getting sealed. And even with his Geass, at the rate things were going it was only a matter of time.

The problem with his Geass, like all of them, was that it only affected people. Sure, to everyone he met, he was _exactly_ like whoever's identity he had taken. But to a camera... or more to the point, a _security_ camera, he just looked like himself. That was why he was glad he was wearing a hood, but even so, being here was an incredible risk.

A necessary one, though. Without any change in the situation, it would only be a matter of time before he got caught, and he wasn't okay with that. Neither was N.N. So they'd set up a two-pronged plan to get the other Codes involved- N.N. would go see C.C., and try to get her to help them out, while Damian went to the EPD's headquarters, and tried to break out either S.S. or V.V., who were imprisoned there. N.N.'s plan had run into the complication of C.C. thinking he was irritating and worthless. And Damian's...

The plan had always been to spring S.S. She was quiet and shy, but she _liked_ other Codes and Geass Knights. She thought they were all family in this, in some messed up way, and wanted to help out. Wanted everyone to work together. So if you could really convince her it was important, she would help you out. Trouble was, it hadn't taken long after getting inside for Damian to learn that S.S. had been sealed. They'd finally caught up with her last Geass Knight- in Area Six, go figure- and taken care of him. So she was dead. Well, _worse_ than dead, really. And all that left was V.V.

Everyone hated V.V. _Everyone_ hated V.V. He was arrogant, he was superior, he was smart but not nearly as smart as he thought. Despite being the newest Code, he acted like he was the senior, and it pissed all the Codes and Knights off. But Damian didn't really have an option, so V.V. it would be.

He took a deep breath, and moved as quickly and casually as he could through the halls of the Directorate's headquarters. There were very few people actually roaming the halls- as Damian understood it, the place had a very binary life. At any given time either everyone was out in the field, or everyone was in the office, and there was very little in between. Damian had timed his visit for when there wouldn't be many people there, but he hadn't realized just how _empty_ the place would be.

It wasn't, of course, completely empty. There were office workers handling and filing paperwork, there were scientists doing research on the nature of Codes and Geasses- research which, as Damian understood it, had made essentially _zero_ progress since its inception. It made sense to him that they were having so much trouble- they were trying to study through scientific method something that was so beyond the scope of science that it was indistinguishable from magic.

That was just the story of their research as to _how_ Geasses and Codes worked- the logic behind it all. The practical side of their research- ways to stop Geass Knights- had actually produced some significant results. They'd figured out that a Geass showed itself in the eyes- that it manifests in the user's eyes when active, and that it leaves a slight red ring around the iris of those currently being affected by it- but that was something that the field operatives had discovered for themselves already.

It was amusing to Damian that they hadn't figured out the really obvious one yet, though- that a Geass couldn't affect the environment, only living beings. Perhaps even only people, he wasn't sure. He'd never tried messing with his Geass on a dog or something.

There were also a few agents around, though, questioning people that had been brought in. All of them were there because the agents thought they'd come into contact with a Geass of some sort... and while he didn't like to make blanket statements, Damian was pretty sure that all of them would turn out to be bogus. The EPD brought in a staggering number of people on suspicion of Geass contact, and of course, very few of them had ever actually come in contact with any Geass Knights.

Damian had gotten unlucky- they had, in the past, gotten some of his victims, and from them, figured out what Damian's Geass was. Specifically, they'd determined that he could steal people's identities by staring into their eyes... and also confirmed that the process now left people dead. That was, in fact, the majority of the EPD's work- investigation to determine the nature of a Geass Knight's identity and powers. And their thoroughness was a testament to their zeal.

You would expect, then since they knew what Damian's power was, they would have some extra security protocols in place to keep him from slipping in... but so far, things were going pretty smoothly. No one had raised any calls of alarm, and he realized that it was actually possible that the people in charge of security just couldn't conceive that a Geass Knight would come here willingly, and just assumed that, since no one was making a fuss when they met him, that he was okay.

It was something of a paradox- the only way to catch Damian was to use a security camera, but the people staffing them were too lazy to pay the necessary attention unless someone else had already caught him. And now he had reached the holding cells without anyone bothering him. _Holy shit,_ he thought. _I might actually pull this off._

He moved quickly, passing dozens of cells, including one where S.S.'s sealed body was slowly decaying, before he finally reached V.V. He stared at the Code in astonishment. He had... changed.

As former royalty, V.V. had always prided himself on his appearance. His flowing blond hair was longer than he was tall, golden and stylized, and though Damian hated to admit it, it had just looked _beautiful_. He'd worn the fanciest clothes in the style of Britannian nobility, and held himself with pride and grace.

The V.V. lying in a heap on the ground showed none of this. He was garbed in what looked like some sort of full-body straight jacket, white with black leather straps and buckles holding back his arms. His hair had been cut short, as though hacked off rather than cut, and it was dirty and disheveled. And his eyes... they were mad. Not as in angry, as in completely insane. Damian had heard that not having any Geass Knights caused a Code intense mental agony, but he hadn't ever seen it firsthand. Now he was seeing what happened when a Code was kept from having any Geass Knights for two _decades_.

He stared at the unresponsive boy for a few moments, his plans suddenly uncertain. He hadn't expected to get this far... how would he get V.V. out? And even if he did, and V.V. was able to appoint a new Geass Knight- his _last_ Geass Knight- would he regain his sanity? The wild look in the boy's eye left Damian uncertain if he was even capable of _speech_ anymore, so far gone was his mind. _What can I possibly do? ...This was a bad idea. I should never have come here, and I should get out of here as fast as I can,_ he thought.

Suddenly, a siren went off in the building. "A Knight has infiltrated the building! Repeat, a Knight has infiltrated the building! Hunter squads, head to the holding cells! Level three lockdown activated!" boomed a loudspeaker.

Before the announcement had finished, Damian was already off and running, dashing back the way he came. He reached the automatic door... and slammed into it with a gasp when it did _not_ automatically open. He scrambled to his feet, and pounded on it... but it didn't open. Locked, of course. He turned around, and saw the hunters at the other end of the hall.

This was it. He'd failed. They were going to grab him, haul him off to N.N.'s Codestone, and kill him... and in so doing, they would seal N.N. as well. _No,_ he thought, controlling his panic. _No, this isn't over yet. Stay cool, and play your part._ "He went this way!" he exclaimed. "I don't have the most recent keycodes- someone open this door before he gets away!"

Damian did still appear as one of their comrades thanks to his Geass, and the hunters that had been marching toward him hesitated. "...Who is it?" asked one of them, fingering his assault rifle.

"There's no time for this shit, come on! It's me, Benjamin Mulready! Don't tell me you don't recognize me!" he snapped. "Come on, open the door!"

The hunters relaxed. "Sorry, Ben," said the one who'd questioned him, rushing forward to open the door. "I did recognize you, of course, but I had to be sure you were really you. That damn Knight can steal faces, after all." He punched in the correct keycode, and the door slid open .

"Is that the one that's in here? Shit," swore Damian. "I suppose it's better than that mind reader, though. Come on, let's get after him. He can't get out with the place like this." _If I pull this off I deserve a goddamn award,_ he thought, his heart racing.

"Oh!" exclaimed the one who had opened the door, remembering something. "Sorry, Ben, I know it's a pain in the ass, but I gotta ask for your safety phrase. Rules, you know how it is."

Damian froze. "Do we really have time for this?" he asked.

"Rules are rules, man. Just say it and we can get moving."

There was a long pause, and then Damian shouted, "_Fuck!_" and began to run for it. He wasn't nearly as fast as his patron N.N., however, and he only got a few yards before one of the hunters shot him in the leg, and he fell to the ground.

The hunters rushed to the fallen Geass Knight, pulling on eye protection to guard against his Geass, and held him down. "You killed _Ben!_" roared one. "You _son of a bitch!_" He lashed out with a booted foot, kicking Damian viciously in the stomach. Then he bent down, and grabbed him by the hair, pulling out a knife. "Do you know what _this_ is, asshole?" he snarled, holding up the blade.

Damian did know what it was. He'd heard stories from other Geass Knights, from N.N. When a Code was killed, and their Codestone crumbled, the stone didn't hold the power of a Code anymore. But even so, it was something _more_ than ordinary stone. The EPD's scientists had discovered that if you make a _knife_ out of the stuff, and slash a Geass Knight's eyes with it, you could keep them from being able to activate their Geass. And also blind them, which was another plus, as the hunters saw it.

It was the perfect way to keep a Knight from Geassing anyone while they were being transported to be sealed... or should they escape, from being able to use their powers again.

And having your eyes slashed hurt even more than it sounded like it would, as Damian learned.

* * *

**N.N. - Two Days Later**

* * *

N.N. frowned. He'd called Damian several times without any answer. It had been two days since he'd gone to the EPD's headquarters to try to rescue the other Codes... and no word. N.N. had since managed to evade the hunters, and escape back to China... but that he hadn't heard back from Damian probably meant that he was having to lay low and run from the hunters himself.

Damian's Geass really was just the perfect one for escaping the EPD. His other Geass Knights had tried to out-and-out _fight_ the EPD, which was a fool's errand. Damian had avoided them many times, and N.N. was confident that he would avoid them again many more.

He'd hoped, with this little effort, to be able to turn the table on the hunters- maybe to not be always on the run. To have the power to fight when necessary. But it was looking unlikely that Damian had succeeded. _Ah well. In a year or so, he'll be powerful enough to take my Code, I think. We just have to last until-_

The feeling came suddenly, like a reverberating tightness in his chest, like an echoing in his head. His eyes widened in horror. He _knew_ this feeling. _Oh god, oh no, oh __**god**__ they're sealing Damian,_ he realized in horror. He felt like he was on fire, a flame burning inside his chest. It was torture, it was agony, and he collapsed to the ground from the pain.

And then as quickly as it came, it subsided. _Oh, thank god... it stopped. Did Damian get away in the middle of the ceremony, or something?_ he thought, a little baffled. _It doesn't matter how. The important thing is, I'm okay. I will miss Damian, though... even if he got away, he'll just bleed to death somewhere else. ...He was a good friend._

He pushed himself to his feet... or tried to, but his body didn't move. He blinked in surprise... but again, his body didn't obey the signals from his brain. His eyelids didn't move. In horror, N.N. realized that he wasn't breathing, either. _Oh god, Damian didn't get away... they succeeded. I've been sealed._

And with that, he tried to fight his rising panic... but there was no way for him to calm down. He couldn't close his motionless body's eyes to try to calm himself. He couldn't pace, as he often did, to cool his thoughts. He was trapped, inside his own head, unable to escape, and knowing that _nothing_ would change for several hundred years, at which point he would _finally_ be granted release.

This is the way a Code ends- not with a bang, but with a centuries-long whimper.

* * *

I worry that the chapter has just too much exposition, but it was unavoidable, I think. It's definitely the most informative Side Story yet... but also probably the worst written. =( I don't think it's _bad_, just not as good as I would like. Well, the next one will be better. Onward and upward!

So V.V. is alive, kind of, but he has no Geass Knights, and other than him, it's just C.C. and her three Knights now. The last of the Codes. Fortunately, as mentioned, she is just really good at dealing with the EPD, so it's not a forgone conclusion. Plus, Mao and Gaspar are likely some of the most formidable Geass Knights ever, or at least in several hundred years. A long time ago, nearly every Geass Knight had an army, that was just the thing to do. Obviously that's much harder to pull off in the age of the Directorate.

The next Side Story will either be Nina or Villetta. I'll give Nina a shot, write some... but I'm not confident that I'll succeed. Like I said, I have a lot of trouble with Nina. Cause she's creepy.

Review, comment, question, and I'll see you again on Tuesday with Chapter 23! Unless, for some strange reason, I were to post something else between now and then, but what are the chances of that happening?

=3


	5. Chapter 5

Hey again everyone! Technically it's my week off, but I just finished this up, and I'm really quite happy with it, so I'm gonna post it. I'm such a rebel, working even on my time off! Wait, that's not being a rebel. That's like a workaholic or something. T.T

So, like I was saying, this turned much better than I expected. One of the first requests for a Side Story that I got was for a Nina Side Story... and I was pretty resistant to the idea at first. The fact is, she's always been my least favorite character- she actually crosses that line from "least favorite" into "most hated", actually. Least favorite suggests that there is some part of her that I like, and I'm not sure there is, hahah. But then I thought about it... and a lot of what I don't like about her is due to a lack of any background for her.

We know _nothing_ about Nina's life before CG starts- we don't even know if she has parents. They just tell us so incredibly little about her. And beyond the obvious question (given her surname, is she a descendant of Albert Einstein), there are some interesting puzzles about her life beforehand. For example, her xenophobia- is she just racist, or has she had some experience that makes her fear somewhat justified? What inspired her to start researching uranium- if no one else had, how did a teenage girl suddenly decide to start studying one of the most dangerous elements in the world? And so on.

But when it comes down to it, the fact is, I still can't like CG's Nina. She's racist, paranoid, ignorant, and irresponsible. In our reality, the people who invented the atomic bomb immediately understood what a horrible thing it was- Kenneth Bainbridge, the Manhattan Project's director, watched the explosion and exclaimed "Now we are all sons of bitches." J. Robert Oppenheimer, the laboratory director for the detonation, quoted Hindu scripture: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." These men _knew_ that they had just created something powerful and terrible and perhaps even evil. Nina shows _none_ of that. It's not until she kills millions of people that she realizes that she is, in Director Bainbridge's words, a son of a bitch. Or daughter, I suppose.

But this is an AU fanfic, and the delightful thing is, I can change things. I can make Nina a more sympathetic character. And the best way to do that is to both give her _reasons_ for her actions... and giving her something cooler to do other than hang around the Student Council surfing the net all the time.

Reviews! Most everyone seemed to agree with my assessment of the last chapter- not incredibly engaging plot-wise, but there was enough neat detail and explanation to make up for it. Kyuubi no kami asks if cutting out a Geass User's eyes wouldn't do the trick even without a fancy knife- well, yes and no. Obviously, it would work pretty well for someone whose Geass was entirely eye contact based... but many of them aren't. Shirley's has a voice-based component that would still work, Mao's would work, and Damian would still be able to transform, which is mainly what they were worried about. He wouldn't be able to steal new identities, but he still had plenty of old ones he could use to trick them or otherwise confuse them and make good his escape. Better safe than sorry, yeah? Of note is the fact that you have to cut _both_ eyes to seal the power- otherwise, it's like covering a gushing pipe with a patch that's too small. Doesn't really stop much.

nanoman79 also writes to suggest an Inner or Outer Circle Side Story, and asks just how much the Outer Circle's existence was because of the Inner. I will probably do one at some point, it's an interesting subject, but I've got no real schedule for it. As far as the Outer Circle's origins... as another reviewer (can't recall who) guessed, Sayoko had much of the organization already formed by the time Zero showed up and spewed a bunch of nonsense about the Inner Circle. He called them a shadowy order of assassins bent on destroying the Imperial Family... and Sayoko thought, "that's pretty much what I want to do with this group, and these guys have actually been successful with Clovis, so I might as well take the credit for it." I imagine if he'd called them the Musketeers and explained that they were European Union anarchists bent on getting Fox to bring Firefly back for another season, she wouldn't have bothered stealing the name. Though she probably would love Firefly, because if you don't, you are crazy and wrong and have no love in your soul.

And Gaff Gafgarion makes a comparison I hadn't thought of- comparing the Codestones to the Stone Table from the Dresden Files. As a matter of fact, I am an avid reader of the Dresden Files, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't my inspiration here. It's a pretty classic arcane trick, really- blood has power, pour blood on something that's powerful and shit will happen. Like the Pattern in Amber, or the dozens of examples of Chalices of Blood and such. God of War loves that kind of thing. Hrm. Now I turned a flattering comparison (to the Dresden Files) to a really not so much one (to God of War- it's a great game, but we don't love it for its brilliant writing). Way to go me?

Enjoy the Side Story.

* * *

**Nina Einstein - During and after Chapter 24**

* * *

It was a familiar dream, because it was not just a dream, a creation of pure fantasy... it was a memory. A scene from her past... that she was tired of seeing. She should be able to change things, but nightmares don't work like that. You can't think straight, and in spite of your best efforts... things play out exactly like they did in the past. Occasionally, they even went worse than before.

Rudolf Einstein smiled as he walked down the hall with his daughter alongside him. "...I suppose that concludes our tour! Is there anything I missed?" he asked her with a smile.

Nina gave him an exasperated look. "You didn't explain why it was called 'Big Sight,' dad!" she complained. "It was me asking that that inspired you to _do_ this whole tour!"

Her father laughed. "Well, 'Tokyo Big Sight' is just a nickname, it's really the Tokyo International Exhibition Center... but I'm just saying that because I don't actually have any idea why it's called Big Sight. I was just trying to distract you," he chuckled. Nina sighed. "Why don't we ask one of the Elevens working here?"

"Ask... a Number?" asked Nina timidly. Her father sighed.

"Nina... Numbers are people, just like you and I. We beat them, that's why they're Numbers. If they had beat us, they'd probably have made _us_ Numbers," he told her patiently. It was clear from his tone and manner that this was a reoccurring problem with the girl.

"But... but we _didn't_ lose. We won. That means we're better," protested the girl.

Rudolf's face softened. "The world isn't that simple, honey. I'm not asking you to go out and hug a Number. But... so many Britannians treat them like... like aliens, or like animals." He smiled as a thought occurred. "Nina, who is your favorite scientist?" he asked.

"Da Vinci!" exclaimed Nina with immediate enthusiasm.

"And where was Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, brilliant as he was, from?" smiled Rudolf.

Nina frowned. It seemed like a trick question. "...Italy...?" she answered cautiously.

"And what is Italy today?"

And there was the trap, and she had walked right into it. "...The European Union," she sighed in resignation. As she lowered her head, her glasses gently slid down her nose, but she didn't seem to notice.

"See? The man you admire most of all, and he wasn't even Britannian," declared her father with satisfaction. He leaned down, and pushed her glasses back up. "So give non-Britannians a chance, alright? They're pretty brilliant scientists themselves, and some of them are going to be doing some very cool presentations here." He pulled out a map of the exposition hall. "Now, what do you want to see?"

The 2012 Developing Technologies Exposition (DTE for the acronym-crazed) was less exciting, perhaps, than some years- science had mostly plateaued, awaiting the next major technological breakthrough (which sadly would not happen for another half-decade), but there was still lots to see and do. They wandered around together, checking out various demonstrations and exhibits.

At one point, her father had to flash his credentials, and was able to get them into a public demonstration of the Sutherland, the new military Knightmare that was nearing production. Nina was fascinated with the machine... it was so huge, so powerful, and yet was able to move with such precision. As they walked out of the demonstration, she gazed at her father for a moment, thoughtfully. "Dad," she asked, "why do you study the elements?"

Her father considered this. "In a way, every scientist studies the elements... but you mean more specifically in their pure form, correct?" he asked. Nina nodded. "Well... I suppose I think that scientists have gotten carried away, Nina. Just when our technology was starting to level out- when we were starting to run out of ideas- we discovered the applications of sakuradite, and suddenly everything was easy."

His daughter gave him a slightly confused look. "...I don't understand."

Rudolf frowned. "Well, it's like this. Sakuradite is powerful. Really, really powerful. It produces a lot of energy, it can take a lot of stress, and it's an incredible conductor." Nina nodded- she got that part. "So isn't that... well, a little easy? Take away sakuradite, and suddenly the scientists of the world would have no _idea_ what to do with themselves. We're basing all our technology on a single element. What if we discover something that counters it, or what if someone develops a machine that can disable sakuradite?

"It's not impossible, not at all. There's already some research that suggests that it is possible- though we're not sure how- to disrupt sakuradite with energy waves. If that were to be fielded... entire nations could be crippled. The military forces we've spent so much time developing and building could be rendered useless." He nodded to himself. "The important thing, Nina, is to know that there is _always_ more than one solution to a problem. Somewhere out there is a combination of materials- fuel and conductor- that, when combined, can achieve the same results as sakuradite, or perhaps even better.

"We need to find it- because when sakuradite becomes obsolete, and like every other piece of technology, it will be someday- we need alternatives." He smiled at his daughter. "That's why I research the elements. Because I'm looking for alternatives."

Suddenly, there was a _fzzt_, and then all the lights went out. Nina immediately began to panic, but her father placed a big, calming hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Nina. Just a power outage." He laughed. "Pretty ironic for the gathering of the most advanced science in the world to suffer a power outage, isn't it?"

Nina smiled weakly. _It's okay. My father is here with me. There's nothing to be afraid of._ And then the speakers crackled on.

"Attention, Britannian dogs! We are the _Rising Sun Brotherhood_, and we have taken control of this building! You gathered here to revel in the technology that you used to murder our people and destroy our land... why shouldn't we do the same to you?" The voice was arrogant and angry, full of the passion of youth. "That's right... you've all been captured by a bunch of Elevens. The doors are locked and bolted. You can't get out. And we have but one demand- _die_."

And then suddenly the building shook, the ceiling began to collapse, and there was fire _everywhere_. Nina felt something slam her to the ground, and then everything went black.

She woke with a start, gasping for breath as she leapt from her bed. _That dream again... dad..._ thought Nina Einstein miserably. It had been five years since then. She had survived the explosion... but only because her father shielded her with his body. He didn't survive.

If she'd been a more passionate girl, a more aggressive and forceful one, she would have hated the Elevens for what they did- hated _all_ Numbers. She'd already had xenophobia drilled into her mind by Britannian society... and when she was just beginning to accept that they might be human beings as well, she watched as they blew up a building full of innocent people just because they felt like it- and killed her father in the process. Nearly killed her as well.

But she wasn't aggressive. She was a timid, shy girl... and all she felt was fear. Fear of the kind of person that would just blow up a building because they wanted a release for their anger. Fear of these wild animals in human form- these _Numbers_, so full of anger and hate that they were incapable of anything else.

She'd always been a rather nerdy girl, but with the death of her father, it had kicked into overdrive. The Elevens were everywhere, and she was scared of having to deal with them... so she spent more time indoors, at school and home. And since her father died with no one to continue his research... she took up the burden herself.

It had been an incredible education, going through his papers- far more so that what she'd received at school. In one summer, she got through all his reports... and though she didn't understand them completely, she came out completely devoted to the project. There was just so much about the elements that wasn't known. Her father's research had focused, near the end, on the element uranium... and in short order, he came up with a material that he called depleted uranium.

He'd never had a chance to announce those findings, and when Nina discovered them, she was able to submit his findings to some colleagues of her father's. They'd announced it to the world, and her father's work finally got some of the credit it deserved... but she wasn't close to done. Rudolf Einstein had discovered depleted uranium while trying to learn more about a special isotope of uranium called U-235... and Nina swore to unlock its secrets.

She didn't have her father's equipment, or his funding, or in fact any materials. All she could do was run simulations on her computer... and do the math. But she was close to a breakthrough... she knew it.

She checked her clock. _Almost seven... I would have to get up for school in a little while anyway, so there's no point in going back to bed._ She sighed, and began to get ready for school. Her research had hit a snag, and she was looking forward to using the school's computers to see if she could work through it. Her computer was pretty good, of course, but some of the software she just couldn't afford. _The Science Lab computers should be able help, though. I really need to get a copy of ChemCrucible for my computer, that program is incredibly useful..._ she thought as she stepped into the shower.

* * *

Nina sighed as she sat down at the computer. Milly had canceled the Student Council meeting for today... quite disappointing. For Nina, the Student Council was her one social event- the one thing that she actually did with other people. She was dedicated to her research, so she spent most of her other free time working on that, and without a pressure release... well, she might even go crazy.

It wasn't that she didn't _enjoy_ her research, of course she did... but it wasn't a relaxing thing for her. It was fascinating, intellectually satisfying, and exciting, but after a long day of comparing molecular structures and analyzing chemical properties she just felt... tense. Milly had randomly decided, one day, to give her a massage, and was astonished to learn that Nina's muscles were about as stiff and inflexible as her father's depleted uranium.

She knew that she ought to relax more, take it easy, go at a slower pace... but, well, it was her father's _legacy_. She didn't want to let him down. She wanted to prove to the world that he was right- that uranium contained the secret to a technological revolution.

Nina plugged in her USB key, and loaded her file on U-235 into ChemCrucible. It was the latest of many files- she wanted to have a full document of her work for when she finally _did_ solve the problem, so that no one could say that she stole the work, or that she didn't work at it, or... well, _whatever_ people would say. After how long her father went unrecognized for, she wasn't so optimistic as to think that people would just accept her work at face value.

At this point, she was certain that she could produce a nuclear fission reaction if she had the materials. U-235 was incredibly unstable, and by bombarding it with neutrons, you could get it to split on a molecular level. No one had done it before, but the math was very clear. But the problem was, well, making that _matter_. It was all very cool, but unless there was some way to cause a chain reaction, a major chemical phenomenon that would generate vast amounts of energy, then it was all for nothing. It was fascinating, sure, but of no real use.

She didn't have any data for _pure_ U-235, though. As far as she knew, no such thing actually existed. No one had ever _bothered_. And so there was only so much she could do with the math... she longed to work in a laboratory where she could actually work with the materials, rather than just doing complex math that ultimate proved nothing other than that it was _theoretically_ possible.

"Oh?" noted a voice from behind. "You are working with molecular structure?" Nina spun slowly in her chair, and then froze. It was a face she knew... not personally, but one she had seen in pictures. _Cecile Croomy, an energy manipulation researcher! Her theories on direct manipulation of sakuradite are incredible!_

She took a deep breath, because she knew she was beginning to get panicky. "Y-yes ma'am," she answered nervously. _What is a famous scientist doing _here_?_

Cecile leaned closer. "Hmm... is this... uranium? It doesn't look like any uranium isotopes I've worked with."

"This is a simulation of U-235. It really doesn't naturally occur in any real quantities, so I've had to estimate the structure of it in a pure form. The problem is that, since it's very rare, and of little practical use, no one has ever actually _bothered_ with enriching it. A pure sample of it, though, appears to have some very fascinating properties- it looks like you could actually achieve a fission reaction, and perhaps even a _sustainable_ one." She blinked, and realized she had been ranting. "I'm sorry... I get carried away when I talk about my work," she mumbled.

The blue-haired woman shook her head. "No, no... it's quite remarkable." She slapped her forehead. "Where are my manners? I'm Cecile Croomy, a researcher for the Britannian Army," she said, offering her hand. which Nina shook almost reverently. "Everyone has been so focused on working with sakuradite, it's rare to see someone working with another potential source of energy... it reminds me of Dr. Einstein's work, actually."

Nina's eyes widened. "You knew my father?" she asked excitedly. Cecile blinked in surprise. "I'm Nina Einstein, Rudolf Einstein was my father!"

"No kidding..." murmured Cecile, stunned. "You're carrying on Rudy's work, then? Oh, sorry- that's what we used to call your father," she explained, noting Nina's confused look. She leaned closer to the screen. "Still... you took your father's work on depleted uranium, and took it this far?" She stopped, apparently deep in thought. Nina, who was prone to the same sort of long periods of internal thought and conversation, knew not to disturb her- there was nothing worse than having a great idea, and losing track of it because you were interrupted.

Finally, she opened her eyes. "Nina... this may be a little sudden, but... do you think you could actually make this work, given the resources?"

The girl tilted her head. "I mean, I think so. The math and theories are sound, it's just a matter of finding the proper way to... I can't be positive, but I'm reasonably certain I could do it, yes."

Cecile nodded. "How would you like a chance to _have_ those resources?" she asked quietly. "Not after you graduate... now. We could have everything ready for you to get started next week."

Nina's mind went completely blank. "I-I don't think I understand, ma'am," she stammered. "It doesn't... doesn't make any sense. Are you... are you offering me a job?"

Cecile smiled softly. "I am offering you a chance, Nina... if you want it. You're smart, you've got good instincts for this stuff... and you're trying things that no one has before. I'll be honest with you- I can't _guarantee_ that you'll be hired. I'll have to look at the records of your work, just to see for myself how you got this far, and how much of it was your work versus your father's. But I have a feeling in my gut that you're just what I've been looking for, Nina." She rested a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "How would you like to work for Prince Schneizel himself?"

Nina's mind reeled. "I... I would love to, Ms. C- _Doctor_ Croomy," she corrected quickly. "I just... I can hardly believe this is happening."

"I came here looking for my pilot, and found one of the scientists of the next generation," smiled Cecile. "I'm a little shocked myself."

* * *

Nina stood nervously in a chair in the front of a military building. It was a scary thing, getting through the security checkpoints to get into the base. She'd been given a special paper to get her through, and the guards had stared at it long and hard, held it up to the light, and finally called someone to verify it. When they came back from the call, they were polite, helpful, and obviously more than a little intimidated. Apparently, whoever they'd talked to really wanted Nina to get through without any trouble.

Other than being on a base, and seeing the occasional officer walk through, Nina would never have known that this was a military building, though. It had an ordinary waiting room- a bunch of chairs, a TV, and some magazines, with a desk at the front, manned by three secretaries. They controlled access to the rest of the building, and they had told Nina to wait, that someone would be along shortly.

Nina set aside her magazine, and looked up to find a girl about her age staring at her. The girl had brown, gently curling hair arranged in twin ringlets, and an energetic face. "Hmmm..." said the girl, staring at her. "You aren't quite what I pictured."

"Uhm," managed Nina. "...What did you picture?"

"Someone taller, I suppose." Then the girl grabbed her hand, and simply began to walk. Come on."

Nina stumbled after her, bewildered. _What exactly is happening right now? Who is this girl, where is she taking me, and... and why am I too shy and confused to ask her?_ she marveled as the girl dragged her through various hallways, past laboratories and conference rooms before finally dragging her into a room at the end of some hall. "I brought her!" she announced to the waiting group of strangers.

Nina froze as she stared at the assembled group. It was a who's who of modern science. Cecile Croomy was there, the patron saint of energy conversion and manipulation. She'd discovered how to directly use power from sakuradite without having to convert it first, and then used that technique to create some marvels of modern science, like the gravity-manipulating Float System and the Blaze Luminous energy shield. Technically, those two technologies were classified, but their existence was so exciting to the science world that most enthusiasts knew of their existence, even if no one had any idea how the heck they actually worked.

Standing in the corner was Bradley Asprius- a general in the Britannian Army and famous genius of human-machine interfaces, as well as hazardous material handling. Bradley had developed some of the military's first official prostheses, developing a computer that interpreted nerve signals so accurately that it could even be mistaken for a regular arm (if you wore long sleeves). Rumor had it he'd been working for Prince Clovis at the time of his death, but his involvement (whatever it was) in the whole Shinjuku scandal had put an end to whatever work he had been doing.

The two women sitting at the table were Sancia and Lucretia Kain, who were both skilled Knightmare designers, as well as being the Empire's only married lesbian couple. The Emperor did not care for such things, as he was a Darwinist, and believed that only things that advanced a species deserved to survive, and since gay marriage could not produce offspring, he considered it a dead end. When Sancia and Lucretia developed a stunning piece of technology called the hadron cannon, though, Prince Schneizel el Britannia told them that he would grant any one wish of theirs as thanks for their efforts.

All they asked was to be married... and so it was. Nina found the story inspiring- not only were they incredible scientists, but their love was so great and pure that they defied societal conventions, and even a chance to be made nobility, if they had wished, in favor of simply becoming married. That, and the hadron cannon was, by all reports, pretty amazing. Nina would have loved a chance to look at its components.

Cecile smiled at the two girls. "Ah, you're here! Great!" She paused at the slightly confused look on Nina's face. "Mariel... you _did_ tell Nina where you were taking her and why, right?"

The girl called Mariel looked indignant for a moment. "Of course I did! I... hrm, I think I did... no, it completely slipped my mind," she realized. Cecile sighed.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter too much now... Nina, this is General Bradley Asprius, Sancia and Lucretia Kain, and Mariel Labie," she explained. Only one of the names was new to her, but it wasn't polite to act like she knew them when they didn't know her. They one by one shook hands with her, and in the course of a minute Nina had instantly developed a killer inferiority complex. _I can't believe I'm in the same _room_ as these... these geniuses, let alone shaking their hands!_ she marveled.

"Could everyone have a seat?" asked Cecile, and everyone sank into a chair. She pulled down a projection screen, and pressed a button. The word "Introduction" appeared, black text on a plain white background. "Excellent. Quick disclaimer- obviously, a lot of this stuff is classified, so... well, you all know. Don't spread this stuff around, or that's technically treason. Now... I'm sure you've all noticed the signs. Technology is a constant ebb and flow- sometimes it develops very, very quickly, with lots of fields making major leaps... and sometimes it is very slow, with no major breakthroughs at all. For the past seven years, technology has slowed significantly.

"The military's cutting-edge Knightmares have barely progressed- there have been some refinements, but there have been no major leaps. ...Until now. The next leap in science has begun. Frames like the Lancelot are leading the charge." The slideshow displayed a video of a white and gold Knightmare... and as Nina watched, it pulled some _unbelievable_ feats. It was incredibly fast and agile, it had a Blaze Luminous energy shield, and it even had some kind of sword and a powerful energy rifle that she had never seen the likes of before.

"Frames like the Gawain," continued Cecile, pulling up an image of a massive black and gold Knightmare, and at this she nodded at Sancia and Lucretia. _Are they its creators?_ thought Nina. _That probably means it's equipped with a Hadron cannon! I want to see it in action!_ "And... frames like the Black Knights' unknown frame, codename Romeo Quebec." A clip played of a red Knightmare... and it seemed every bit as fast and agile as the Lancelot. At first, it didn't seem to have any special weapons... and then suddenly the Knightmare grabbed an enemy, and a wave of energy surged out from its hand. The enemy frame began to melt, and then just _popped_ in a cascade of fire. Nina sat bolt upright in alarm.

"Holy shit..." uttered Sancia. "Was that a surge of radiation?" Cecile nodded, and Sancia sat back, letting out a low, appreciative whistle.

"...Why is it called Romeo Quebec?" asked Lucretia in a quiet voice.

Cecile sighed. "Romeo for 'red,' and 'Quebec' is the pilot's known callsign. That's all we know, I'm afraid- the name isn't very informative."

Lucretia tilted her head. "You say it is a Black Knights frame? Did they develop it?"

"It would appear so- them, or the group known as Kyoto."

"It would make more sense to use the old Japanese phonetic alphabet for it, then, rather than the Britannian one. Perhaps call it Renge Quebec," suggested Lucretia.

"Ren... gay?" repeated Cecile, attempting to mimic the pronunciation of the foreign word. "An interesting idea, we'll make the change." She shook her head, and started back up with the speech. "As some of you have probably guessed... it appears to be partially designed by Rakshata Chawla, the famous Indian researcher." Sancia and Lucretia nodded grimly, but Bradley just raised his eyebrows in alarm. "She is one of the most intelligent, innovative scientists in the world... and she is working for the Black Knights." Cecile took a deep breath. "And now Lloyd Asplund has joined them as well."

There was a moment of stunned silence. _Everyone_ knew Lloyd. The colorful, cheerfully insane genius had been a symbol of national pride- countless innovations were owed to him, and he was not too humble to publicly take credit for them. Not too many ordinary people knew of him, of course, but among scientists he was legendary. "_Lloyd?_" repeated Sancia incredulously. "What the hell is he thinking?"

"What does he ever think?" sighed Bradley. "He is brilliant, there is no doubt about that, but his priorities were always a little bizarre. He never served out of loyalty, Sancia. It was always because he found it entertaining. Apparently he finds the Black Knights more entertaining."

"Clearly, it's a grave situation we are faced with," declared Cecile. "Two of the brightest minds in the world are working for a power that is blatantly, openly hostile of Britannia... and does not appear short on either funding or intelligence. If left alone, they _will_ surpass our technology... and then it's anyone's guess how things will go. A small resistance force that should be no problem would suddenly become a serious rival for Britannia's power." She waited a beat, and then smiled. "So that's why you are all here today.

"You're here because you are the best and the brightest. General Bradley is a master of human-machine interfaces as well as safety measures, Sancia and Lucretia are brilliant Knightmare designers as well as communications and analysis experts, Mariel is a supercomputer expert with some incredible theories on precision control of large machinery, I am pretty decent with energy manipulation... and Nina Einstein is the only person to come within arm's reach of a sustainable fission reaction." All heads turned toward Nina in surprise, and Nina flushed with embarrassment at the attention. Bradley looked the most impressed- as a hazardous materials expert, he had the most knowledge of just how difficult what she was trying to achieve was.

"Not to insult anyone... but I don't think any of us are as brilliant as Lloyd or Rakshata." At this there were chuckles- no one took this personally, it was just fact. "But all of us put together? I think we're _more_ than their match." Cecile took a deep breath. "And that's why I'm here to invite you all to be the founding members of Merlin- a Knightmare research and development team under the direct supervision of Prince Schneizel el Britannia. Together, we can win this arms race."

There was a long moment of silence, which was then broken by Mariel's irreverent declaration- "Sounds fun, I'm in."

Sancia laughed. "Only someone fresh out of college would be so quick to agree," she noted with a wry smile. "Can we finish up the Gawain, Cecile?"

"The Gawain would be part of Merlin- you'd be free to finish it at your leisure."

Sancia nodded. "Okay. I'm in." Lucretia smiled, and nodded as well. If her partner was in, she was too.

Bradley shook his head gently. "I'm not really a Knightmare designer... but it takes all sorts, I suppose, and I'm always willing to learn. Okay. I will join."

Nina took a deep breath. "I... I don't know... I feel so out of place," she admitted. "You're all... proven scientists, and I'm just some girl..."

"I'm not a proven scientist," noted Mariel helpfully. "Just a girl with some interesting ideas. Like you." She paused. "And hey, if you don't prove useful, we can just make you an assistant."

It was meant in jest, but somehow, the idea was quite relieving to Nina. _Even if I screw up, I can be of use somehow. It's okay._ She closed her eyes, and nodded. "Yes... yes, I'll do it."

"Well then..." smiled Cecile, "looks like we have some work to do.

* * *

So Cecile is playing hardball. She took Lloyd's betrayal pretty personally, and she's pulling out all the stops to beat him at his own game. And it should be a lot of fun to watch =3

For the curious, the project Cecile is going to get them started on is Frames for the Knights of the Round. I actually came up with a lot of backstory for the Knights of the Round that I'll have to implement at some point, but any attempt to add it here would have just felt shoehorned. I'm also trying to address the weird tech cycle of Code Geass- in seven years, they've barely improved over the Glasgow, but suddenly the Black Knights get involved and in a _year_ they've created the freaking Guren S.E.I.T.E.N.? That's a jump in technology that is just freakin' impossible. I personally felt that R2 took the tech advancement too far. Science just isn't that _fast_. It's not magic, for crying out loud.

I've commented on the fact that writing from a character's perspective makes me like them more. I don't love Nina now... but she's a decent character. I appreciate her more. Perhaps I'll even be able to tolerate her when I watch the anime. (*Remembers Table-kun*) ...Yeah, maybe not,

Review, question, comment, all that jazz, and I'll see you next time!


	6. Chapter 6

Yo, folks! It's time for another side story! You probably guessed that, 'cause you got an email or some other kind of alert... yeah. Well, here it is.

This one I had a lot of fun writing. Getting into the mind of Schneizel is a pretty enjoyable thing, and it really makes you appreciate how much Lelouch and him have in common. He's not as impulsive as Lelouch, though- more detached and calm, more analytical. I had a few pretty insightful comments from readers when I mentioned that I had trouble getting the feel of Schneizel, but I think the one I found the most helpful was SirKaid. His analysis is that Schneizel is, essentially, _bored. _He's a man who enjoys mind games and strategy, and he's already all but won the Britannian throne. What higher aspiration is there? What good enemies are left? And how tough must it have been, to realize that there was nothing left to achieve- that there were no challenges left for you in life?

And then what a relief, what a thrill, for a worthy enemy to suddenly rise, issue you a challenge, and begin to tear down your empire. Schneizel doesn't hate Zero. Zero is one of the best things that ever happened to him. Zero is someone who can play on even footing with him, can actually _win_ against him sometimes. Zero is the foe he's been looking for- an answer to a prayer.

Reviews! Too bad Side Stories doesn't get as many reviews as AR, there's never a shortage of things to talk about for AR. That anyone liked Nina's Side Story seems to me like a wondrous thing- if I can make _her_ into an interesting Side Story with as much as I hate(d) her, then that suggests that I can do a lot more Side Stories if I just try. Which, I suppose, means I can't make quite so many excuses -_- Honestly, I expect I'll keep writing Side Stories now and then even after AR is done. I would love to compile everything into one big story- the Side Stories put in with the regular chapters, arranged chronologically so that you don't have to spend the first five minutes of each Side Story trying to figure out where exactly in the time line it is taking place.

Heh. Got a little sidetracked. Reviews. nanoman noted that CG rarely kept track of how much time was taking place between events... honestly, I think that's probably a case of Writers Can't Do Math. Heck, I used to be a Teacher's Assistant for a math teacher, and I've already managed to screw up a few dates in Armed Resistance (if you look real hard, you'll probably find em, and I intend to correct em one of these days). Something about picking up the pen makes you forget things... like that Tuesday comes before Thursday -_-

Detective Ethan Redfield had some interesting insight as well- he theorized that maybe the technology race in CG wasn't that so much was developed at one time, but more that they all _finished_ in that short period of time. Like, the Radiant Wave Emitter, VARIS, MVS, Float System, and Hadron Cannon technologies were all in work for quite some time, and thanks to the fact that they all finished in the same short period of time, it created a little burst of technological development that, from the outside, looked like a sudden, rapid jump in tech. It's more plausible than the whole world suddenly putting on their game faces, to be certain, but it still seems a little ridiculous. Don't get me wrong- it's a great theory. I think you're probably right. But all that confirms, in my mind, is that the writers of CG didn't really understand how technological development works.

Anywho, here's the chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

**Schneizel el Britannia, Just Prior to Chapter 30**

**

* * *

**

Violet eyes. That had been the key to everything. And with that key, Schneizel el Britannia had cracked Zero's secret wide open.

It had already been apparent that Zero was the founder of the so-called "Inner Circle"- which had also just as clearly never truly existed. It was all just a scheme on the masked man's part- an easy scapegoat invented to shift the blame. An enemy for Britannia and the public to focus on, making Zero and the Black Knights look good in comparison, and then a sign of their good will when they took the Circle down. He had to admit, though, it was quite cleverly done.

Zero was also obviously a "he". Some of Schneizel's subordinates had reverse-engineered the voice modification that Zero used, and while the reproduction wasn't at all perfect, it was clearly a male voice. Besides that, his physique and mannerisms were indicative of a male. Zero was of slender, muscular build, extremely intelligent, possessed of incredible material resources, and was either European or Britannian.

The eyes, though, had made it clear that he was definitively a pure blooded Britannian. And from there, the conclusion was just too obvious. Zero was a _prince_.

Which prince? Well, there were lots of options there. There were quite a few minor princes that the throne had lost track of, there were some missing or presumed dead princes, there were even some illegitimate princes who were never officially documented. It was kind of amazing that someone with as many consorts as the emperor would still cheat, but... well, that was how it was. Schneizel had his suspicions as to who it was, exactly, but he couldn't know for certain. Not yet, anyway.

It was too bad about Jeremiah. He'd put in for the man to be released on account of the service he'd rendered to his country by actually remembering what Zero's eyes looked like, but the emperor himself had put his foot down, and said no. Said that the man needed to remain in jail as an example to the world. It was foolish and unfortunate, but there wasn't much else that Schneizel could do about it.

He frowned gently, and set down the report he had been looking at on Zero's Black Knights. _He has some very capable subordinates... Lloyd Asplund especially. I'm a little unhappy that he stole my former minion, I must say,_ thought Schneizel. The other major standout was Sayako Shinizaki- the former leader of the Outer Circle, and an exceptionally talented assassin. Schneizel had caught himself glancing into shadows more frequently, a sign of just how much the news troubled him.

But Zero wouldn't assassinate him. That would be too easy. Zero was the sort of man who wouldn't stab you in the back if he thought he had a decent chance of slitting your throat instead. And then stealing all your stuff.

"You look like you're thinking hard, my prince," commented a warm voice, and Schneizel looked up. It was Kanon Maldini- an Earl, and his right-hand man. He was probably the only person Schneizel really trusted. Kanon did not work with Schneizel out of a sense of duty (he had none), for the money (he already had more than he could spend), or for the power of it (he could have more any time he asked, but he never did). Kanon was with Schneizel because he wanted to see Schneizel on the throne, and it was that simple. And because of that, Schneizel knew he could tell him anything. Not that he did.

"You surprised me, Kanon. I didn't hear you come in," he noted, pushing his reports into a neat pile. "I thought you were in the Chinese Federation, investigating the situation there?"

"I was," sighed the advisor, and Schneizel noted his red eyes and tense face. "I just got back, and came to give my report."

Schneizel smiled kindly. "I'm sure it can wait until later, Kanon. You should get some rest."

"It really can't, I'm afraid," answered Kanon with a shake of his head. "It's much more serious than we had thought."

Schneizel sat up a little straighter. "Really... well, I trust your judgment, then. Have a seat, please."

Kanon sank gratefully into a chair. "Where to start... as you know, at around noon yesterday, the Chinese Federation capital, the Vermillion Forbidden City, was attacked by a rebel faction. In the process, they managed to secure Empress Tianzi and kill several key High Eunuchs. The government is in a state of disarray- though the capital is under the control of the rebels, the rest of the Federation is still controlled by the High Eunuchs, who are gathering their forces in an attempt to drive the rebels out."

The golden-haired prince leaned forward. "So they were successful in taking control of the Forbidden City... this is quite unexpected. We have had intelligence reports on these rebels before, as I recall, and they did not seem nearly capable enough to pull this off," he noted. "Were our reports inaccurate?"

"I don't believe so- the Servants of the Heavens, as they call themselves, experienced extremely rapid growth in the last week, coinciding with the appointment of a new second-in-command, a man they call Xun Dao Zhe, or Truth Seeker. We're still investigating where this man came from, but he appears to have brought in huge donations, as well as causing a spike in recruitment. He's made them... well, fighting fit, it would seem," sighed Kanon. He smiled wearily. "A story that gives you deja vu, isn't it?"

Schneizel nodded solemnly. The parallels to the Black Knights' sudden rise in power were startling, to say the least. _Did Zero have a hand in this? Did he inspire another to start their own revolution? I wonder..._ he mused. "Is there any way we can take advantage of the situation?" he asked.

His aid shrugged hopelessly. "If it were just a matter of us and the Chinese Federation, certainly, but the moment we move, the European Union will hit us. Even weakened and distracted, we can't do anything to China while we still have the EU to worry about... and since the EU themselves will be thinking the same thing about us, they can't do anything either. The whole world will just avert their eyes and pretend that they haven't noticed anything until the whole mess settles down."

"And if it doesn't settle down?" asked Schneizel calmly.

Kanon glanced up in surprise. "...Do you know something I don't, Schneizel?" he wondered.

Schneizel smiled. "I'm sure there are many things I know that you don't, Kanon, but right now, all I have is a suspicion that this little rebellion is not so little at all." He shook his head. "The parallels to the Black Knights are obvious, of course, but there are some very key differences as well- not the least of which being how impoverished the majority of the Chinese Federation is. Wealth is very binary there- you are rich or you are poor, with very little in between. And this makes for a very large population that would like to see change. It would not surprise me if these 'rebels' spoke for a majority of China."

Kanon blinked. "You think that they will succeed?" he asked.

"I think that the High Eunuchs have taken their power for granted for too long... and if this rebellion does not take them down, another soon will. Their 'empire' stands on pillars of sand, that much is clear." He leaned back. "Thank you for getting this report to me so quickly, Kanon. Go get some rest. I will see you tomorrow."

Kanon rose, and bowed slightly. "Tomorrow, my prince." He walked out slowly, his exhaustion apparent. _So much to do..._ thought Schneizel. _Things have gotten busy around here rather rapidly._ He reached down to his phone, and hit the intercom. "Haley, could you send Cecile Croomy in?" he asked his secretary.

"Yes, your highness! I'll get her from the waiting room!" answered the girl enthusiastically. She'd only been working there for a week, and she was still quite energetic about her job. Schneizel smiled. _It's good to see her taking such passion in her work._

The double doors open, and Cecile strode in timidly. "Dr. Croomy," said Schneizel warmly, rising to greet her. "Why is it that you're always so nervous? You must have been here a dozen times by now. Please, relax."

"Yes, your highness," answered Cecile quietly, still standing stiffly. _Perhaps this is a reaction to Lloyd's overly casual nature- she feels the need to be exceedingly formal just to contrast him,_ he thought. After a moment, she sank into one of the chairs, and Schneizel sat back down as well.

"Merlin is going well?" he asked.

Cecile nodded. "We're making a lot of headway on the designs- currently, we have basic plans for some eight Frames. With the Lancelot and Gawain, that makes ten." She paused. "You haven't really told us our target, your highness."

"Well, there's good reason for that- I was waiting until the Emperor gave me permission to use this project the way I wanted to," explained Schneizel. He leaned forward. "What do you know about the Knights of the Round?"

The scientist frowned, considering the question. "A group of the twelve elite soldiers- the best in the Empire- who are given special permissions and privileges so that they might better protect Britannia's interests. That's just the premise, however- we haven't actually had twelve at any one time in more than half a century."

"Correct," nodded Schneizel. "The Knights of the Round have become something of a relic of times past- back when a Knight would lead an army into battle on horseback. A few skilled fighters here and there have earned the title- like Lady Marianne, of course- but for the most part, the organization has fallen into disuse. It's outdated." He leaned forward, and folded his hands. "And I intend to revive it."

"Revive it?" repeated Cecile. "As team of Knightmare pilots?"

"Precisely. Merlin's job, then, would be to design and maintain Frames for the Knights. One for each Knight. And the Knights of the Round would become a true force to be reckoned with. The problem, of course, Dr. Croomy, was that the Knights became rather irrelevant. With the advent of jet fighters, and then eventually Knightmares, the difference between a skilled and average pilot became smaller, and smaller. In the area of swords and armor, one exceptionally skilled warrior could change a battle... but in a Glasgow, no matter how skilled you are, there is a limit to how the machine can perform. In essence, it made the Knights of the Round unexceptional. Their skill was wasted on the machine, because it had a hard skill cap.

"With this newest generation of Knightmares, like the Lancelot and the Gawain, we are finally seeing that cap stripped away. We are finally seeing machines that are powerful enough, fast enough, strong enough, that it takes a truly skillful pilot to master them. And when mastered... their power is almost more than can be believed."

"And they're also forbiddingly expensive," added Cecile.

Schneizel chuckled. "There is that as well, of course. We couldn't possibly afford to make these standard issue. Even making twelve such Frames is going to cost us a fortune. I really don't know how the Black Knights afford all their technology. But that's neither here nor there. How go things with the team?"

"Lucretia and Sancia are getting along quite well- they're really driving the design along. They've even offered some ideas for the Lancelot, which we may need to act on. Mariel and Bradley are making some great progress on our control systems, and Nina..." Cecile paused. "Nina's task is more tricky. It's hard to tell if she's making progress, because her work is pretty cut and dry- either she's got a fission reaction, or she doesn't. At the moment, she doesn't. Frankly, sir, we need to get her a better testing area."

"The equipment we've provided isn't up to the task?" asked Schneizel. There was no menace to the question- he wanted his scientists to have whatever they needed. If they didn't have it, he would get it.

Cecile shook her head. "It's not that. It's more a... well, your highness, if one of her experiments goes wrong she could easily blow up the whole facility. She's dealing with... very, _very_ potent stuff. She needs somewhere to experiment where if it goes off, there will be no casualties."

Schneizel raised an eyebrow. "Worrying indeed... I will find a place for her, then. You think she can do this, though?"

The woman frowned. "Prince Schneizel... myself and my team, all the other researchers... we're developers of technology. We are used to working on a... a higher level of science. What Nina is... well, it's something more essential, more... core. She's working with the elements themselves. It's not a field I'm very experienced with, and thus I have a hard time judging. But she knows what she's doing."

"If you're certain," said Schneizel. He reached down to his desk, and picked up a simple manilla folder of papers. "This is the approved roster of the new Knights of the Round," he told her, handing it to her. Cecile held it, and glanced at it hesitantly, uncertain whether to look at it now or later. "Go ahead and look it over."

The researcher nodded, and flipped it open. One by one, she pulled out the personnel files and examined them. It was interesting to watch her face, Schneizel thought- quite a few of them were recognizable names, well known ace pilots from various divisions of the Britannian military. Some of them had been in the newspaper... and while many of those were for articles with titles like "Hero Holds the Line," some of them were for less... pleasant achievements. One stood out in Schneizel's mind- "Bloodthirsty Pilot Devastates Enemy and Civilian Alike." But Schneizel wasn't aiming to find nice guys. He just wanted skilled pilots. Cecile's mouth twisted into a frown at a few of the files, but at one of them she stopped, and her eyes opened wide. "Suzaku?" she uttered in amazement.

"Yes, the warrant officer has been approved by the Emperor as one of the new Knights," confirmed Schneizel with a nod. "I'm not sure why it surprises you- you've seen first hand how incredibly talented he is. The Lancelot _dances_ in his hands."

"But... he's an Eleven!" exclaimed Cecile. "I'm not... displeased, it just seems a strange decision, your highness."

"He is an Honorary Britannian. And the law states quite clearly that an Honorary Britannian should be treated no differently than a natural-born one." Schneizel shook his head. "That part of the law has rather been ignored... and the Emperor is not pleased. Consider this part of a campaign of his to fix the inequality."

Cecile stared at the file, lost in thought. "Have you told him?" she asked.

Schneizel shook his head. "I thought you might want to."

"I... thank you, my prince... for giving him this chance. He's really... really a good person. He'll make Britannia proud." She did not add it, but Schneizel could tell that she was thinking "unlike some of the people in this folder." That she did not like some of the new Knights was fine. She was a professional- she would do her job whether she liked them or not.

Schneizel paused. Technically, that was all the business he needed with her... but he had been hearing things lately. Nothing big, just... little things. About Cecile. That she'd been... more short-tempered lately, less patient, and also somewhat careless. They were all small things, nothing he would have thought twice about with a subordinate... but these issues had all arisen shortly after Lloyd left, and he was mildly concerned about how his new research chief was handling the betrayal. It wouldn't do for her to have a breakdown, after all. That kind of delay was the last thing they needed.

"Have you spoken to Lloyd since he left?" he asked quietly.

Cecile went rigid. "...No," she answered shortly.

"It's not treason to stay friends with him," said Schneizel gently. "I know you two were very good friends, and I-"

"Is that all, your highness?" asked Cecile suddenly, interrupting him. Schneizel blinked- she was _angry._ Really, genuinely angry. She _never_ got angry. _This is bothering her even more than I had anticipated... I should have been more subtle._

"No, that's all, Cecile," sighed Schneizel. "Thank you- you may leave. You can take that folder with you as well- that copy is for Merlin's use. Take care."

"Thank you, my prince," replied Cecile with a bow, and then she stood, and left.

Schneizel drummed his fingers on his desk. _Where does this leave me? The Chinese Federation is in the middle of a revolution, the Black Knights are growing stronger by the day, the European Union is on the defensive... my enemies are being quite troublesome of late. I've figured out who Zero must be- all I need to do is confirm it. That would happen face-to-face, however, and that would be difficult to arrange for obvious reasons-_

The doors flew open, and Karine le Britannia marched in. "Schneizel!" exclaimed the excitable, eccentric girl warmly. "What have you been up to?"

Schneizel didn't blink at the sudden, violent entry. "Why, Karine, this _is_ a surprise," he commented, his tone making it clear that it wasn't surprising at all. "I suppose you've heard about the roster, then?"

"Schneizel!" exclaimed Karine again, but this time in shock. "Can't a sister visit her brother without being accused of having an agenda?"

"I should hope not," smiled Schneizel. "I would hate to learn I'd overestimated you."

"Oooo, you say the meanest things sometimes, Schneizel!" declared Karine, frowning. "Why is it that you're so silver-tongued with everyone else, but you're always so blunt with me?"

_Because subtlety is wasted on you,_ thought Schneizel. "You are a very straight-forward woman, Karine. I would not want to insult you by being any less straight with you."

"Ooo, well played," grinned Karine. "Yes, I have come because of the roster."

"I put your favorite on there, Karine. Luciano made the cut despite his obvious issues. What problem do you have with it?" asked Schneizel innocently.

Karine narrowed her eyes. "Gino? That soft-heart? And even a couple of _Numbers_? What were you thinking, brother?"

_I've no intention of telling you, sister. Not that you would comprehend it even if told._ "My goals are, as ever, entirely transparent," declared Schneizel placatingly.

"Do you mean that you can see right through them, or that you can't see them _at all_?" demanded Karine. Schneizel smiled infuriatingly, and Karine sighed in frustration. "Fine, have your secrets. But when your Numbers get themselves killed because they can't take the pressure, I don't expect to mourn much."

"I would have thought you'd be more supportive," said Schneizel, though he didn't think that at all. "After all, one of them is an Eleven- you'll be his Steward in a few weeks."

"Ha!" said Karine quietly. "And that's supposed to give me warm, fuzzy feelings? A bunch of cowardly, weaselly brats who won't stand up for themselves, but will quietly pass money to a group of terrorists... that whole Area needs to be beaten into shape. Clovis handled them with kiddy gloves, and Cornelia... heh, she just got unlucky. Now you've got me all riled up, Schneizel. Ready to fight." She grinned. "I'll see you later, brother."

_And that is why she is both the worst and best possible Steward. The people there will hate her. Her aggression and stupidity will fan the flames of discontent even higher, fueling the revolution. Feeding the Order of the Black Knights. And that's just what I want._ Schneizel leaned back, watching his sister leave. _Zero is resourceful and brilliant, but he's just not in the position he needs to be to make a worthy foe. He does the best he can with what he has, but I have an empire, and he has a crowd of rabble._

_No, Karine is perfect because she will forge Zero into a worthy foe. Giving him the support, resources, and reputation he will need to face me head-on. And then we will have a match worthy of princes._ "It will be quite the party..." he mused. Then he paused.

"Party..." he repeated, and then he grabbed his phone, dialing another of his advisors. "Maxwell? Call a press conference for this evening- internationally televised. Subject?" He grinned. "We're going to offer Zero an invitation..."

* * *

And we all know just how that invitation worked out. This is another one of those chapters where I get to make full use of the fact that I can show you things before they happen in AR. The people who just read AR aren't going to learn about Karine being the next steward for a good 2-3 chapters, for instance.

Speaking of Karine, she was actually a little tricky to write. Not because I "can't understand her"... because there's nothing to understand! She has _one_ scene in the entire anime where she speaks, and then it's only to talk about how much she loves war. Yeah, that's real inspiring stuff, Karine . So I rather necessarily took a lot of creative license with her. She's now... hrm, what's a good comparison... I'm sure there's some anime character that she's a lot like, and I'm sure you guys will let me know who =P But yeah, she's a blatant warmonger who doesn't really _get_ the consequences of war in the way only royalty can manage not to. Sure, she understands what pain, death, and loss are- things that happen to other people. So that tells her pretty much all you need to know about her.

And if you guessed that she's gonna get killed, well... congratulations. Maybe you'd like to predict that at some point in the near future the sun will rise XD (I tease. She definitely is gonna get herself killed one way or another, and if you guessed that, good for you. Though she does kind of paint a target on herself with her asinine behavior.)

One more comment before I go- I was working on another Side Story, but... well, it sucked, frankly. I got a little over halfway done, and it was just a piece of crap. I'm going to run it by some people who I trust to beta read it, see if they can help me salvage it. We'll see what happens.

Review, comment, question, all that jazz, and I'll see you next time!


	7. Chapter 7

Hello, folks! Comin' at ya with Side Story 7! This Side Story, along with the next one that I put out (which should be done fairly soonish, fingers crossed) takes place during the time skip in between chapters 33 and 34. It's a very important time, really- It's the time it takes the Black Knights to gain a foothold, and start actually, openly fighting Britannia, and also, as we'll see here, for the Knights of the Round to settle into their own as an arm of the Britannian Empire.

Suzaku has already had one side story, and I fully expect him to have more. It may seem like a waste, since there are so many other characters we could cover, but it's important that Code Geass was originally a show with _two_ main characters, not just one. Armed Resistance is first person- there is no room for a second main character there. But Suzaku is still an incredibly important character, and without the Side Stories, we wouldn't learn about all the cool stuff he gets into when he's not face-to-face with Lelouch.

Personally, I didn't like Suzaku in the anime. He is one of several characters that I just didn't care too much for. But there are two things about writing a character for your fanfic- one, you come to understand them better, and two, you can tweak them into a character that you enjoy more, haha. The difficulty lies in doing so without losing what made that character unique, and I'll be the first to admit that I have screwed that up on occasion. If I do that here, you let me know, and I'll change it. I don't wanna misrepresent nobody.

Hrm. Not much else to say. Enjoy Side Story 7- and if you haven't, go check out Chapter 35, the newest addition to the main storyline!

* * *

**Suzaku Kururugi - Shortly Prior to Chapter 34**

**

* * *

**

"Suzaku," said Cecile softly. Suzaku blinked, and looked up. "You were miles away, Suzaku."

"Area Six, to be specific," mumbled Suzaku, still looking distant. He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ms. Cecile. We've been here before, haven't we? Deja vu." He gave her a weak smile. The scientist smiled as well, but the smile was not nearly as bright as it was a handful of months ago. _She misses Lloyd, whether she'll admit it or not,_ thought Suzaku sadly.

"That we have," agreed Cecile. "But that was a long time ago... or, at least, it _feels_ like a long time ago," she amended. "I suppose it's only been a few months, hasn't it? A few months, and everything's changed." She paused, and tugged at her collar, smiling apologetically. "Look at me, waxing nostalgic when there's work to be done. I just wanted to let you know that we've finished repairs on the Lancelot. You can get going whenever you like."

"And try not to jump on any bombs this time!" interjected a jeering voice. An orange-haired man with a cape and a sneer stepped forward, shaking his head. "I still can't figure what you were thinking."

Suzaku's eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't expect you to, Bradley. I was trying to protect those people. If the Lancelot hadn't shielded them from that bomb, they would have all been killed."

Luciano Bradley, Knight of Ten, shook his head disappointedly. "You say it like that's a bad thing, Suzaku. They were rebels, their lives were worth _less_ than nothing-"

"They were people who had made an honest mistake, and then surrendered, Bradley," interrupted Suzaku sharply. "And that's Kururugi, Knight of Ten- I don't want a butcher like you referring to me in the familiar."

Luciano's eyes narrowed. "Look at the little Number mouthing off... I don't give a shit if you're Knight of Seven, the only number about you that matters is _Eleven_. Watch your tongue around a pure blood, you little brat."

There was a moment of tense silence, with just the two Knights staring each other down, and then Luciano spat on the ground, and then turned and walked away. After another long moment, Cecile finally asked, "Suzaku, what was _that_? That wasn't... you."

Suzaku sighed tiredly. "I'm sorry about that, Cecile... there's just something about that man I just can't stand," he answered quietly. "He sets me off like no one else. He's just... I don't know." He shook his head. "I've always believed that everyone has a legitimate point of view... that everyone has their reasons for acting the way they do. But I don't think, in a million years, I could understand his." _That... and Lelouch is right. I'm getting... angrier, and I don't know why._

"He certainly is a very unpleasant man to work with," sighed Cecile. "He makes the most unreasonable demands for his Knightmare. FLOAT System, Hadron cannons, and an offensive Blaze Luminous all on one Frame? Does he know what the phrase 'power supply' means?" She shook her head. "I'm sorry, now I'm getting off topic again. I better get back to work."

_Me too,_ thought Suzaku as he watched Cecile walk away. Back to the job of a Knight of the Round. The job he'd done in Area Six... alongside that scum Luciano Bradley. There had been a rebellion there- a group of dissidents inspired by the Black Knights, determined to win their own freedom. In a way, Suzaku could respect that. But he was the Knight of Seven. He had a job to do, and he did it. And Luciano made sure there were no survivors. It had been a brief suppression. The rebels had assumed that Britannia's strength would be tied up dealing with Area Eleven, and they had been terribly wrong. Britannia could never tie up its forces with one conflict- the moment they did, the Chinese Federation or the European Union (or both- they certainly hated Britannia enough to ally briefly) would strike. So the majority of Britannia's forces were always on standby.

With the rebellion suppressed, it was time for the Knights of the Round to decide what to do next, and thus they were having their second ever meeting. Suzaku wasn't sure how to feel about the meeting himself. Most of the members, he was on amicable terms with, not that he'd spent too much time with them. Ten and Twelve, though, he didn't trust for a second, and he wasn't the only one. _How they ever became Rounds is beyond me,_ he thought, though in truth, it wasn't really beyond him. It was down to politics.

There were four members of the royal family who were directly backing the Knights of the Round's revival- Prince Schneizel, Princess Cornelia, Princess Karine, and, to everyone's great surprise, Princess Euphemia. Euphemia backed the Knights because of their symbolic power- given the amount of military force that each Knight represented, they worked as very effective negotiating tools. Send a Knight as a diplomat, and it was certain that the other party would take them seriously. The other three backed it simply because they wanted to empower excellent pilots.

Part of the terms of the formation of the Knights was that each one would be backed by one of the four- with Schneizel, Cornelia, Karine, and Euphemia each getting three Knights to their name. It was a way to keep one prince or princess from having too much influence over the Knights, but what it led to was faction politics. Suzaku had expected to be put forward by Euphemia, but in fact Cornelia had _insisted_ that he be one of her Knights, and Euphemia, while surprised by this, agreed.

Euphemia had backed the Knights of Nine, Eight, and Six- Alfred, Bart, and David Dalton, formerly of the Glaston Knights. Cornelia had backed Seven, Five, and Two- Suzaku, a young and friendly noble named Gino Weinberg, and Nonette Enneagram, a woman whose skill and professionalism put her miles above all others, and a personal mentor to Cornelia.

Karine backed Ten, Four, and One- Luciano Bradley, Oscar de Britannia, a Prince so low on the order of succession that Suzaku honestly didn't remember where that was, and Bismarck Waldstein, an ace pilot with the rare attribute of actually disliking violence- perhaps a strange pick for the war-crazy princess, but his record spoke for itself. And Schneizel, the man who created the project in the first place, chose to back the Knights of Twelve, Eleven, and Three. Eleven and Three were no problem- Three was a man from Area One by the name of Aaron Reynolds and the only other Number on the Knights, and Eleven was Monica Kruszewski, a promising young pilot with good instincts, but little experience.

The real problem was the Knight of Twelve... a girl by the name of Alice Carroll. She was a pureblooded Britannian, an expert pilot, a skilled intelligence gatherer and an outspoken woman... and incidentally a former member of the Outer Circle, who was sentenced to death as a traitor before Schneizel got her pardoned, and made her a Knight of the Round.

All the other appointments, though some were strange, were understandable- you could look at them and really believe that it was an attempt to make the best team of pilots in the world. But when you saw Alice, that all fell apart. She was obviously, _obviously_, part of some plan Schneizel had going. No one had any idea what, but it was making everyone incredibly nervous, and this added to the factionalism of the organization. Knights began to whisper behind each other's backs, forming little cliques around whose Knight they were. It wasn't a big deal yet, but it was getting there, and they could all sense that if something didn't change, one day they would be at each other's throats.

Suzaku couldn't stand it. It all seemed like petty nonsense to him, distracting from the larger goal of protecting the Empire. He didn't trust Luciano or Alice, to be certain, but that lack of trust did not extend beyond mere suspicion. They made him uneasy, but he wasn't foolish enough to act on mere unease. If only others followed suit, but they did not.

He sighed. _Sitting here and thinking about everything that's going to be bad in this meeting isn't helping... I suppose I should get going,_ he thought, and rose to his feet. This was going to be fun.

* * *

"Reynolds-san! Reynolds-san, let him go!" exclaimed Suzaku, attempting to restrain the six-and-a-half foot tall man. Even with his martial arts talents, holding back the Knight of Three was a bit more than he could handle.

"Just give me a few more seconds, Suzaku..." snarled the man, pressing his thumbs ever harder against the throat of the Knight of Four, Prince Oscar de Britannia. The prince's face was sheet white as he gasped fruitlessly for air, and pawed desperately at the hands of the man choking him.

"Aaron! Stop! Now!" barked Nonette, Knight of Two, and with a glance at the woman, Aaron let go of Oscar's throat, and gave the prince a shove, sending him stumbling away.

Oscar coughed and gasped for air, and then shuddered. "I..." he mumbled, disoriented. "I... how _dare_ you. How _dare_ you do that to me?"

"He's your superior officer, Oscar, and though you may be a prince, you're a pretty low ranking one. Any and all Knights of the Round how more authority than a prince of your stature. So he had every right to rough you up... especially after what you said to him," noted Nonette. "A barely royal brat like you needs to learn that not everyone moves at your beck and call."

"But he _choked_ me!" exclaimed Oscar, furious.

Suzaku cleared his throat uncomfortably. "What he did was wrong... but you don't really get to call a superior officer a 'low-born oaf' and threaten to have his mother thrown in jail," said Suzaku, not meeting the prince's eyes. _And that wasn't the worst of what he said, either. Reynolds-san shouldn't have attacked him, but... well, I'm not sure I would be able to control myself after all he said either._

The prince opened his mouth angrily, shut it, and then stalked to his seat, and sat down. Aaron stared at him for a few more moments, and then turned, and sank into his own chair. "Okay, now that we've all got that out of our systems, can we get started?" asked Alfred Dalton, shaking his head. "The meeting should have started five minutes ago."

"Alfred is right," said Bismarck Waldstein, speaking for the first time since they'd all entered the room. "As Knight of One, I hereby call this meeting of Merlin and the Knights of the Round to order. This meeting has been called to reassign Knights in the defense of our empire, and to ascertain the readiness of the Knights as a whole. First to speak will be Merlin's head of research, Cecile Croomy. Ms. Croomy?"

Cecile nodded at Bismarck. "Thank you. As you all are aware, Merlin is tasked with creating and maintaining Knightmares for the Knights of the Round-"

"And if we're 'all aware,' then why are we wasting our time talking about it?" interrupted Luciano. "This meeting is going to be long enough without us constantly restating things that everyone knows."

"Minutes are kept of these meetings, Mr. Bradley," answered Bismarck gravely. "The records of what is said must be understandable even to those not familiar with our organizations."

"Make them do their damn homework before they can access the records!" snapped Luciano. Bismarck opened his mouth to reply, but Luciano waved him into silence. "Heh, whatever. Do what you gotta. Gonna be a looong meeting though."

Cecile waited a moment to be certain that they were done talking, and then begun anew. "As Merlin is in charge of your Knightmares, we are the ones who must insure your superiority on the battlefield- creating unique, custom Frames to suit each of your needs. The Frames for the Knights of Eleven, Nine, and Eight are not yet complete, but other than them, I wanted to check to see if you had any concerns about your Frames that we could look into- requests, design oversights, things like that. Knight of One?"

Bismarck thought a moment before answering. "The response rate is good, but if it were possible to boost it, that would be advantageous. It can be slightly sluggish in close combat. Better than any Frame I've yet used, but... there is room for improvement."

The blue-haired woman nodded. "We'll see what we can do. Knight of Two?"

Nonette Enneagram frowned. "No complaints. I'm very pleased with mine."

"Thank you. Knight of Three?"

Aaron Reynolds shrugged casually. "It's a beast of a machine, I don't want to sound ungrateful. It really takes 'em apart. But the machine gun could stand to use a little more penetration. It tends to plink off any thick armor."

"That shouldn't be too much of a problem... Knight of Four?" Oscar, still in foul spirits, waved dismissively. "Let the record show that the Knight of Four has waved to indicate that he has no comment. Knight of Five?"

Gino smiled at Cecile warmly. "It's great, Cecile. Better than I could have hoped."

Cecile smiled back. "I'm very glad to hear that, Gino. Knight of Six?"

David Dalton shook his head. "It's very good, I've got no complaints," he said quietly. Suzaku frowned slightly. David was a good man, but he always seemed so out of place- likely because he _felt_ out of place. His brothers and he made up the Glaston Knights, an elite Knightmare pilot team. They were scouted for the Knights of the Round as neutral parties- in a list full of politically charged choices, they were inoffensive. Despite that, he was the Knight of Six, while his brothers were Eight and Nine. He was the most skilled of the brothers, and he felt awkward about being recognized as such.

"Very good. Knight of Seven?"

Suzaku smiled. "The Lancelot is great, Ms. Cecile."

"Knight of Ten?" asked Cecile, closing her eyes in dread.

Luciano Bradley narrowed his eyes. "Where should I _begin_?" he asked, and stood slowly. "The armaments are insufficient in power, are too few, it's not fast enough, it's not well armored enough, it-"

"Shut. Up," intoned Aaron Reynolds, Knight of Three. There was a moment of tense silence as he and Luciano locked gazes, and then Luciano backed down.

"I suppose it is sufficient to the task, if barely," he sneered, and sat back down.

"Knight of Twelve?" asked Cecile.

All eyes turned to Alice Carroll, who grinned at the attention. "It's quite the machine... I think I'm quite happy with it, thank you," she answered.

"Thank you," replied Cecile. "And with that done, Merlin has no further business, so I will depart." Suzaku could tell, watching her, that she was quite eager to leave, and he could hardly blame her. He rather wanted to leave himself. Luciano, of course, disgusted him, but he didn't like Oscar de Britannia or Alice very much either. Oscar was arrogant and superior without having earned anyone's respect, and Alice... she was just so unrepentant. He really didn't understand why she'd been made a Knight.

After she had left, there was a moment's silence, and then Aaron said, "Alright, let's get to planning." He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "So we've all finished up our assignments, or at least to the point that the regular army can take over. The way I see it, we have three big problems facing Britannia right now.

"One, the European Union. They're getting really ballsy, taking all kinds of chances, pushing our buttons. They're getting ready for war, it looks like... they think we're weak, and they're getting ready to hit us. We need a least a couple Knights putting them in their place.

"Two, the Chinese Federation. They've got a whole new fuckin' government over there, and unlike the old one, it's not content to just watch the world. I don't know what these guys are gonna do, I don't think _anyone_ knows. So we need some Knights watching them.

"And three... Area Eleven, more specifically the Black Knights. They're a problem. They're getting big, real big, they're powerful and brave enough to openly fight our forces, and when they do so, they're doing it on their terms, and they're winning. We need to come down on them like a hammer, and stop them dead."

"A few Sutherlands would come down on them 'like a hammer'," sneered Luciano. "They're not worth sending a handful of Knights after. I will handle them myself."

Aaron frowned. "They drove back the Knight of Seven on several occasions, Luciano. You would be wise not to underestimate them. I really think we should send more Knights there."

"Well, I think we all know what good a job a Number would do of-" began Luciano.

"_Luciano_," intoned Bismarck, Knight of One. "You are a hair's breadth away from insulting a superior officer. Do not do so." Luciano lowered his head quietly. "Why are you so opposed to it? It would get the job done more quickly."

"Karine la Britannia herself has requested that I and I only aid her in Area Eleven," answered Luciano easily. "She thinks that sending more Knights to the Area only makes it look like we're taking the Black Knights more seriously than we need to."

"It's true," nodded Oscar de Britannia. "I was with Luciano when she spoke of it, and as both a Princess and the Area's current Steward, we have to respect her decision."

"So be it," nodded Nonnette. "Only Luciano will go to Area Eleven, for the moment. But I want Kururugi and Weinberg ready to aid at a moment's notice. Place them on standby in the Area. Princess or no, I'm not going to let us lose control of an Area because of that girl's pride."

Gino saluted casually, and Suzaku nodded. _I wanted to go there anyway... I owe that to Japan, and to Lelouch. To see what happens... and do what needs to be done._

"There is one other thing," noted David Dalton, and the others turned to face him. He turned slightly red, not used to the attention, but managed to keep his cool. "W-we'll need to keep a few Knights in reserve, also, because who knows what will happen? We might have another rebellion, like in Area Six."

"He's right," nodded Aaron. "How about this- One, Four, and Eleven handle China, Two, Three, and Twelve have the European Union, and Six, Eight and Nine are on standby? Assuming that's okay with everyone," he added, giving Bismarck a subservient glance.

"Three of us against the whole European Union?" asked Alice. "I don't think those are very fair odds- perhaps we should let the Europeans have a handicap." She grinned at her own joke, and it drew a few smiles around the table.

"Any other business? No? Meeting adjourned, then," declared Nonnette, and then she stood.

"For all your talk, Luciano, the meeting wasn't that long after all," observed Alice with a smirk as she came to her feet.

"Still too long for my tastes," said Luciano irritatedly, and he turned to leave. "Like I don't have enough to do without coming to these little group therapy sessions." The other Knights milled about, some leaving, some staying to talk. Suzaku rose to his feet, and turned to leave but was interrupted by a voice.

"Suzaku!" exclaimed a warm voice. Suzaku turned- it was Gino Weinberg, the Knight of Five. "Have you got a sec?"

Suzaku didn't know that much about Gino, but he'd liked him since he met him. Gino was friendly and sociable, and was one of Cornelia's Knights, the same as him, so he didn't have to worry about politics around him.

At least, that was the thought. As he was about to learn, it wasn't entirely accurate. "Of course, Mr. Weinberg. What is it?"

"Call me Gino," chuckled Gino warmly. "No need for formality among friends, right? Anyway, I wanted to ask you about... well, about the Black Knights."

A warning light went off in Suzaku's head. "What about them?" he asked carefully.

Gino's smile shrank slightly, but held its ground. "Well, you're the one of us who has the most experience against them. I know the Glaston Knights fought them a little, but you really went toe-to-toe with them quite a few times, right?"

That much was a matter of public record, so Suzaku nodded. "I did, yes."

"Well, what do you make of them?" persisted Gino.

Suzaku frowned. "That's... a very broad question," he answered cautiously.

Gino sighed. "I'm not trying to get you in trouble, Suzaku. I'm on your side. I just... ah, hell." He looked around, glancing at their surroundings. _Making sure we're alone,_realized Suzaku. "Look... Princess Cornelia is planning something. Something big."

"Something involving the Black Knights?'" asked Suzaku. "It's surprising she hasn't told me, then."

"She didn't tell you because she thought you'd be against it... given your history with them and all." Gino scratched his head. "Look... we want to try negotiating with them."

Suzaku's eyebrows shot up, and his mouth opened slightly in surprise. "Negotiating?" he repeated, amazed. "With the Black Knights?"

"You've heard the speeches the Princess has given since she's come back from Area Eleven," nodded Gino. "About retaking the mainland, and giving up some of the Areas? She wants to start with Eleven. She thinks beating Zero is more trouble than it's worth, and... well, more than that, I can't guess. I don't know her mind," shrugged the Knight of Five.

"But... but the Emperor would never stand for that!" exclaimed Suzaku, still stunned.

Gino shrugged again. "Not my department. She asked me if you would be willing to talk with them. If you're not... well, then plans would change. Are you willing?"

A thousand thoughts swam through Suzaku's head, and in his confusion, he slipped up. "I've met Zero," he said, accidentally, and then realized what had just escaped his lips.

The Knight of Five gave a low whistle at this. "For real? Damn... what was he like?"

Suzaku shook his head, his mind filled with images of Lelouch. _What... _was_ he like? How do you __describe a man like Lelouch? He's so complicated, I don't even know how I feel about him anymore... I've avoided thinking about it ever since he told me he was Zero. Why did he do that? Did he just want to be honest with me? To give me the truth before we parted? I don't understand him... the way he thinks. But I can say a few things for certain..._ "He's brilliant, charismatic, resourceful, and angry," declared Suzaku. "Very... very angry."

Gino _hrm_ed at this. "Well, do you think he'd be willing to talk to us?"

"Yes, he definitely would," nodded Suzaku. "He loves to talk..." He paused, giving it a few more moments of serious thought. "And I would be willing to."

Gino smiled. "Well, alright then."

* * *

I had to take a lot of liberties with this chapter... my version of the Knights of the Round is, of course, very very different from the canon one. I like to think my Knights are less... retcon-ish. It always struck me as sloppy writing that they just suddenly "showed up" for R2- if Britannia has had these elite pilots all this time, why did none of them help fight off the Black Knights during the first rebellion? That wasn't the only problem that I had, though- in CG, we never see the full cast of the Knights, and some of them that we DO see only play bit parts, and never really do anything. So I had to create some new Knights.

If anyone saw Alice as a Knight coming, I want to give you a big round of applause- other than Kaguya and Sayoko, she was the only officer of the Circle who wasn't killed, and I really wanted to catch you by surprise with this twist, but still have the signs be there ahead of time. As for _why_ she's a Knight even though she's... well, a traitor? That's Schneizel's scheming, of course. He's up to something with her... what, we'll just have to wait and see.

Review, comment, question, all that goodness, and I'll see you again soon, folks!


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